20 newly committed PDLs catch COVID-19

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP)-6 recorded 20 new active cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) in Negros Occidental, as of August 11, 2021.

Atty. Jairus Anthony Dogelio, spokesperson of BJMP-6, said the 20 PDLs who tested positive for COVID-19 were part of the 301 inmates committed to the BJMP from various police stations here and in the province last week.

Dogelio said they all underwent swab testing last Monday, and initial results came out indicating 20 positive cases.

Dogelio said there’s a possibility that the cases will increase, pending the swab test results of other PDLs.

The newly committed PDLs were placed in an isolation facility of BJMP at Barangay Handumanan here before they are sent to their respective jails.

Dogelio said these PDLs need to finish the 21-day quarantine, despite their negative swab test results.

For positive cases, PDLs were taken to BJMP’s Ligtas COVID-19 center in Talisay City for isolation.

Meanwhile, Dogelio said that eight active COVID-19 cases were also recorded among the BJMP personnel in the province last week.

He, however, has yet to provide the total number of COVID-19 cases among PDLs and BJMP personnel since the pandemic started.