GEORGE TOWN, Oct 7 — Following the death of an inmate Penang Remand Prison has enhanced the stipulated standard operating procedure (SOP) in an effort to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Its director Mohamed Jusoh Ismail said all the prison staff and inmates who were close contacts of the male prisoner, who was later confirmed to be Covid-19 positive, had been quarantined and separated from other jail personnel and prisoners.
However, he declined to reveal the number of close contacts who were currently being quarantined.
“I cannot tell the number of those isolated, I can only say that those (staff and prisoners) who have been in close contact with the deceased have been quarantined and even underwent Covid-19 screening tests conducted by the Health Ministry (MOH) yesterday.
“Today there are others (staff and prisoners) who underwent the Covid-19 screening test in prison and even the Penang Hospital director was present at the prison to monitor the situation,” he said when contacted by Bernama today.
Mohamed Jusoh said so far those quarantined did not show any signs of infection, even prisoners or staff who were not isolated were in good condition and did not show any symptoms.
Currently, there are about 2,300 inmates and 320 staff at the Penang Remand Prison.
“Until now, the MOH has not been informed on how the inmate who died contracted Covid-19… based on prison information the last time the man went out of the prison and returned was on Sept 9, no more after that,” he said.
Meanwhile, a Bernama check at the Penang Remand Prison entrance area found that there were MOH vehicles going in and out including a vehicle ferrying Penang Health director Dr Asmayani Khalid.
It was understood that health workers started entering the prison at 9 am to conduct Covid-19 screening tests for prison personnel and inmates.
Yesterday, Health director-general Tan Sri Noor Hisham Abdullah confirmed that an 85-year-old man died while receiving treatment at the Penang Hospital, the senior citizen also had high blood pressure and mental illness.
— Bernama
