Did Penang Prison detainees catch Covid-19 from cops?

GEORGE TOWN – The six Penang Prison detainees who recently tested positive for Covid-19 are believed to have gotten infected while on the way to the court complex in Light Street, and not in the jail itself.

Should this prove true, it is likely that they caught the coronavirus from the police officers who were on escort duty.

Penang Bar Committee chairman Lee Guan Tong said the six attended court proceedings at the end of August and in early September.

If they had gotten infected behind bars, the number of cases in the prison would likely be higher, but a mass testing conducting on inmates yielded just six positive results.

The screening was conducted after a detainee was confirmed infected after his death on Monday.

“The authorities are investigating to establish the source of (infection). Everyone has to be careful and cautious,” Lee told The Vibes.

“I am going to court daily, and I strictly follow the Health Ministry’s standard operating procedures to be safe.”

He said the court complex has been declared safe following checks conducted there after the Covid-19 cases were detected.

Nonetheless, the court has postponed all trials involving remand detainees until further notice.

On Monday, an 85-year-old inmate was found unconscious in his cell. He was rushed to Penang Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A post-mortem found him to be positive for Covid-19.

Following this, other inmates at Penang Prison were screened for the virus.

The six who tested positive have been admitted to Penang Hospital.

Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah has said it is crucial to house new inmates separately to prevent the virus’ spread in prisons.

Senior Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, meanwhile, said a special National Security Council meeting has requested that the Prisons Department roll out new SOPs to curb infections in jails.

State Prisons Department director Mohamed Jusoh Ismail said Penang Prison will temporarily not accept new detainees, and they will instead be sent to National Service Training Centres.

Jelutong MP R.S.N. Rayer urged the courts to allow detainees for bailable offences to walk free, so as to reduce the size of the prison population, and accordingly, the risk of infection.

It was reported that some prisons will grant inmates “release on licence” in an effort to tackle the Covid-19 problem. – The Vibes, October 8, 2020