3rd Seberang Prai prison officer tests positive for Covid-19

 

Another officer from Seberang Prai Prison in Jawi is the latest prison official to have contracted Covid-19. -NSTP/DANIAL SAAD

NIBONG TEBAL: Another officer from Seberang Prai Prison in Jawi is the latest prison official to have contracted Covid-19.

This brings to three, the total number of officers at the prison, confirmed to be Covid-19 positive.

Seberang Prai Prison director Zulkifli Abdul Manah said the officer was one of 14 confirmed Covid-19 cases reported in the prison on Monday.

The rest are prison inmates.

"The officer is in stable condition, just like the other two officers before this.

"He was confirmed positive during screening although he did not show any symptoms," he told the New Straits Times here today.

Zulkifli said all staff have been screened and results were expected to be out in three days.

"As for close contacts of the officers concerned, they are expected to be screened next week, depending on the decision by the Health Ministry," he added.

Yesterday, the Penang government said it was considering placing the Seberang Prai Prison and the prison quarters there under the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO).

This followed the increasing number of positive Covid-19 cases reported there, including involving prison staff.

As of yesterday, the Jawi Prison cluster had logged 86 active cases.

Zulkifli said they had no issue with the implementation of the EMCO at the prison.

"We are prepared to face any eventuality.

"Our priority is to ensure all necessary screening has been carried out. We will monitor the situation," he said.

Penang currently has two major Covid-19 clusters — the Penang Remand Prison cluster and the Jawi Prison cluster — making both prisons the third and fourth penal institutions in the country to record Covid-19 infections after Tawau in Sabah and Alor Star in Kedah.

The first active case was reported inside the Penang Remand Prison following the death of an 85-year-old inmate on Oct 5.

Since then, the number continues to rise.

The Penang Remand Prison and prison quarters were placed under EMCO since last Thursday after the active cases among the inmates there continued to surge.

To date, the Remand Prison cluster has logged a total 399 cases, all of which involve inmates. - NST