ZAMBOANGA
CITY – Over two dozen prisoners and jail guards here have been infected with
the deadly novel coronavirus (Covid-19) after initial medical results came out following
mass testing at the local penitentiary.
The
Zamboanga City Task Force Covid-19 headed by Mayor Beng Climaco said the total number
of positive cases here is now 59, including 3 jail personnel, after latest test
results from St. Luke’s Medical Center came out late Saturday.
Health
authorities continue to test prisoners after 2 of them died one after the other
late last month due to the respiratory virus. But the number of infected
prisoners is expected to increase as more Covid-19 test results are expected to
come out in the comings days.
“The results
of the (latest) 29 cases are part of the batch of specimen which were sent to
St. Luke’s Medical Center on April 27 and 30 based on an agreement entered into
by the City Government and St. Luke’s Medical Center through Brent Hospital
that led to faster turnaround of results,” the task force said, adding, two of
those tested positive for the virus are jail personnel.
“The City Government in collaboration with Bureau of Jail
Management and Penology is exerting best efforts, to include providing
resources and logistics, to address the outbreak inside the city jail. Actions
have also been taken to facilitate the transfer of the women dormitory to avoid
contamination of older people deprived of liberty and those with underlying
medical conditions,” it added.
 |
| Mayor Beng Climaco Climaco in a meeting with Secretary Carlito Galvez, chief implementer of the national Covid-19 task force. |
Climaco also met over the weekend with Secretary Carlito
Galvez, chief implementer of the national Covid-19 task force, and discussed
the health crisis here. They also inspected three local Covid-19 testing laboratories
at the Zamboanga City Medical Center, the Philippine Red Cross Center and the
Department of Agriculture.
Galvez was sent over to Zamboanga by President Rodrigo
Duterte after Climaco repeatedly appealed to the national government for
medical support in fighting the spread of the deadly virus.
Sulu Governor Sakur Tan last month also aired similar appeal.
Health authorities said the Covid-10 facilities in Zamboanga City will also
serve Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi and the whole of Zamboanga Peninsula.
Galvez has assured Climaco the national government's full
support to Zamboanga's adamant request to operationalize the testing facilities
to help flatten the pandemic curve.
Climaco said Zamboanga has hundreds of suspected Covid-19
cases and the local government extended the strict community period until May
15. (Zamboanga Post)
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