By Calvin Cordova
CEBU CITY—Persons deprived of liberty (PDL) will have to undergo mandatory swab testing before admission into or release from the Cebu City Jail.
This was the content of Executive Order No. 71 that Mayor Edgardo Labella signed Monday, April 27, as part of the measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the City Jail.
“We have conducted 360 mass testing at the City Jail and 208 inmates were found to be infected with the virus. It is unfortunate that several inmates were found to be positive virus but our mass testing will continue,” Labella said.
Inmates due for release or admission who are found to be positive for the virus will be brought to an isolation center.
“Those with severe cases will be brought to hospitals,” said Labella.
Labella said the city has 19 barangay isolation centers while three quarantine centers will be operational centes, including the P100-million center that was newly built at the North Reclamation Area.
Cebu City has the most confirmed COVID-19 cases in Central Visayas.
As of April 26, Central Visayas has 498 cases and 451 of them are in Cebu City.
“Let us continue to follow our quarantine protocols. Stay home and be hygienic. If there’s no essential reason, avoid going out,” Labella said.