GEORGE TOWN, Oct 9 — No Penang Remand Prison staff has been tested positive for COVID-19 so far, according to its director Mohamed Jusoh Idris.
He said the seven individuals from the prison tested positive were inmates and all of them were currently receiving treatment at the 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 Oct 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 when contacted here today.
Mohamed Jusoh said, at present, the prison has 320 staff whose annual leave had 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 a very stringent standard operating procedures,” he said.
On Wednesday, Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah announced a new cluster known as the Remand Prison Cluster after seven inmates were tested positive for COVID-19 including one who died on Oct 5. -BERNAMA