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GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Department of Prisons has called for all court cases in the state involving detainees to be postponed until further notice, following a Covid-19 scare at its main prison along Gaol Road, which is claimed the life of an 85-year-old man. old inmate earlier this week.
This was relayed by Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow after presiding over a special state security meeting involving prison, health and police officials in Komtar today to discuss the recent death in the prison.
In a statement, he said that the situation in the prison was under control and in “initial stages” and that measures had been taken to contain the spread among inmates.
“The experiences of other states have been used as a guide to reduce its diffusion.
Meanwhile, the director of Penang Prison has written to judicial authorities to delay pretrial detention and trial procedures involving inmates now in prison until further notice.
“All inmates will be tested for Covid-19 and priority will be given to the main contacts (of the first 85-year-old male victim). All prison staff will be examined, ”he said.
On Monday, an 85-year-old inmate died on his way to Penang hospital. They found him unconscious at 7 a.m. and emergency doctors pronounced him dead at 7:50 a.m.
Law enforcement sources said he tested positive for Covid-19 at 2 p.m. the same day. He was previously treated in the hospital for tuberculosis and HIV. The man was charged with murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code last November and was in custody.
In a statement, the director general of prisons, Zulkifli Omar, said that six more pre-trial prisoners at Penang prison had tested positive for Covid-19. This brought the number of cases to 1,126 cases as of yesterday.
He said the first case started at Tawau Prison in Sabah, when an inmate tested positive on September 2, followed by a new group at Alor Setar Prison on September 29, it said in a statement.
Alor Setar Prison was placed under an enhanced movement control order for 14 days yesterday.
