JAWI: All inmates at the Seberang Prai Prison here will undergo Covid-19 screening after three of them were infected yesterday.
Penang Prison director Roslan Mohamed said the procedure would be carried out in stages, and expected to take several days to complete.
"Although the three inmates are staying in a separate block from the existing 2,000 inmates, we have taken immediate measures to ensure early treatment be given to those who may be infected.
"Besides the existing inmates, all new inmates brought into the prison will also undergo early screening.
"Prison staff will follow strict standard operating procedure (SOP) in handling the inmates.
"In fact, all new inmates have been isolated and placed in separate blocks from inmates who have been there for a long time. After 14 days, if they are tested negative (for Covid-19), then they will be moved to the same cell block as the existing inmates," he told the New Straits Times when contacted.
Health director-general Tan Sri Noor Hisham Abdullah yesterday announced three new active cases from the Seberang Prai Prison, under the Jawi Prison cluster.
The three were transferred to the Seberang Prai Prison from the Penang Remand Prison in George Town.
All 15 inmates, staying in the same cell as the three active cases, have been quarantined.
Roslan said, in the past three days, some 200 new inmates and staff had been screened, and none of the staff had been tested positive.
Meanwhile, checks by the New Straits Times at the prison this morning showed health officials making their way into the prison for swab tests.
Meanwhile, on the implementation of the Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) in the Penang Remand Prison in George Town and the Penang Prison Department quarters, Roslan said it would begin past midnight.
He said all necessary preparations had been put in place.
Roslan said close contact of prison staff would also be screened for Covid-19.
"This is only for family members staying together with the prison staff.
"We are still awaiting further instructions from health officials," he added.
Earlier yesterday, the special National Security Council (NSC) meeting decided to implement the EMCO in the Penang Remand Prison and the Penang Prison Department quarters.
This was after the Remand Prison cluster logged 141 cases on Monday alone.
To date, the cluster logged another 178 active cases, including one death.
The EMCO would involve some 2,800 inmates, prison staff and their family members.
On Oct 5, an 85-year-old inmate was found unconscious inside his cell at 7am. He was rushed to the Penang Hospital and pronounced dead about 50 minutes later.
Covid-19 tests carried out on him came back positive.
The Penang Remand Prison is the third prison to report Covid-19 infections after Tawau in Sabah and Alor Star in Kedah.
