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Cebu City Jail. More than 6,000 inmates are packed in the Cebu City Jail, a facility that was built to house 1,500 prisoners. Photo from the Facebook page of the Cebu City Jail
CEBU CITY, Philippines – At least 125 more inmates tested positive for coronavirus at the Cebu City Jail, the Cebu City Health Department (CCHD) announced Thursday, April 30.
The CCHD, which made the announcement on its official Facebook page, did not specify how many of the new cases were prison staff and inmates.
The latest cases brought the total number of infections in prison to 332.
The Cebu City jail has more than 6,000 inmates in a facility built to house 1,500 people.
The city government conducted massive tests in jail on April 20 after an inmate who died after complaining of shortness of breath tested positive for the virus.
Other new cases of COVID-19 in Cebu City were registered in the following areas:
- Sambag Site, Barangay Labangon – 1
- A Lopez Street, Barangay Labangon – 1
- Callejon Site, Barangay Labangon – 1
- Sitio Santo Niño, Barangay Luz – 12
- San Vicente, Barangay Luz – 10
- Barangay Tejero – 1
- Tinabangay, Alaska, Barangay Mambaling – 24
- Sentro, Barangay Mambaling – 1
This brings the total number of confirmed cases in Cebu City to 730, according to the CCHD count.
On Wednesday, at least 17 at the neighboring Cebu provincial prison also tested positive for the coronavirus. (READ: 17 prisoners from the Cebu provincial prison test positive for coronavirus)
In both municipal and provincial jails, coronavirus cases were transferred to isolation facilities.
The Public Interest Law Center previously filed a petition with the Supreme Court seeking the early release of vulnerable, low-risk prisoners in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. The Court has not yet ruled on the petition, but has taken steps to alleviate prison congestion related to the outbreak.
Other important notes. Barangay Luz, where Sitio Zapatera is located, has a total of 186 confirmed cases.
Those without symptoms were transferred to isolation facilities at Luz Elementary School.
Sitio Zapatera was placed earlier in the shutdown after 95 people tested positive on April 16 (LEA: At least 9,000 residents in the city of Cebu barangay under full closure)
Barangay Labangon has 3 new cases, with a total of 125. It is the second barangay in Cebu City that registers more than 100 cases.
The city government has said the increasing numbers are due to its biggest test for coronavirus since April 14.
Mayor Edgar Labella said that about 80% of the cases did not show any symptoms.
Cebu City aims to screen 23,000 families through rapid tests from May 1 to 10, and to conduct swab tests on those who tested positive before lifting the enhanced community quarantine on May 15. (READ: Cebu City publishes schedule for mass testing)
This means that more confirmed cases are expected in the coming days.
As of Thursday, the Philippines recorded 8,488 coronavirus cases, with 568 deaths and 1,043 recoveries. – Rappler.com
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