Bacolod City – Twenty-five of the 81 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) committed by the police to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) at Barangay Handumanan here tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
This was confirmed on Thursday by Jail Senior Superintendent Gilbert Peremne, assistant regional director of BJMP-6.
Peremne said that 81 PDLs were committed to Metro Bacolod District Jail (MBDJ)-male dormitory at Barangay Handumanan on April 5, and were swabbed on April 11.
Peremne clarified that these PDLs were not mixed with the other PDLs at the BJMP, as newly committed PDLs are being placed at the BJMP isolation facility in the said village while waiting for the swab test results.
Peremne said the results of the swab test were released the following day, wherein 25 PDLs contracted the virus.
The infected PDLs were already transferred to BJMP Ligtas Center in Talisay City, Negros Occidental for their recovery, Peremne said.
Of the 25 cases, 17 were from Bacolod, one in Victorias City, and others were from Kabankalan City and San Carlos City, Peremne said.
He added that these PDLs will be re-swabbed and will be turned over to their jail of origin once they tested negative from the virus.
Peremne said that those with exposure to the positive cases are being monitored and will also be re-swabbed.
Peremne said that no BJMP personnel here and in the province were infected.
(Glazyl Masculino via The Daily Guardian (TDG), photo courtesy of TDG)