GEORGE TOWN – No staff working at Penang Prison have tested positive for Covid-19 so far, according to prison director Mohamed Jusoh Idris.
The seven individuals who tested positive were inmates and all were currently receiving treatment at Penang Hospital.
“Six of the seven inmates who tested positive were close contacts and were in the same cell of the inmate who died on October 5. We hope our quick action to isolate and quarantine them could help curb the spread of the pandemic.
“As of today, none of our staff was tested positive for Covid-19, but there were some who are still awaiting their swab test results. Let’s pray that the results will not come back positive,” he told Bernama today.
Mohamed Jusoh said the prison currently has 320 staff whose annual leave has been frozen to ensure sufficient manpower and smooth running of its everyday operations.
“... we need to ensure that everything is sanitised and safe because there are approximately 2,300 inmates in the prison.
“I hope that the Remand Prison Cluster will not spread because we have taken early measures and followed very stringent standard operating procedures,” he added.
On Wednesday, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah announced a new cluster known as the Remand Prison Cluster, after seven inmates tested positive for Covid-19, including one who died on October 5. – Bernama, October 9, 2020
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