DILG urges LGUs to include city jails in COVID-19 mass testing
Published Apr 17, 2020 12:00 am
By Chito A. Chavez
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on April 17, Friday, asked local government units (LGUs) to include their respective city jails in their novel coronavirus disease-2019 COVID-19 mass testing.
DILG Undersecretary and spokesman Jonathan Malaya issued the statement after nine persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) and nine Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) personnel tested positive for COVID-19.
DILG Undersecretary and spokesman Jonathan Malaya
(PCOO / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) “Nanawagan kami sa LGUs who are doing their own mass testing, in case there are jails in respective areas at ma-i-report ang jail warden na PUI, isama sa priority (For jails where the warden might be reported as PUI to be prioritized). We are closely working with the Department of Health (DoH). Lahat ay nakatutok para mapalagaan ang detainees (Everyone is keen on keeping detainees safe),” Malaya said. Since each locality has a BJMP-run city jail, Malaya said it will be better for LGUs to assist the DOH in providing aid to the BJMP, citing that the Quezon city government and its health department have been in close contact with Quezon City Jail officials. BJMP Community Relations Services head, Jail Chief Inspector Xavier Solda, said the nine PDLs who tested positive for the disease were from the male dormitory of the Quezon City Jail. He added they were among 41 PDLs who were earlier isolated and tested for COVID-19 after having direct contact with an ex-detainee who died of heart attack but was suspected to be positive for the virus. An elderly PDL was brought to the Lung Center of the Philippines due to a medical condition but was tested negative for COVID-19. Solda assured the BJMP is taking all precautionary measures to ensure the welfare of PDLs in its facilities. “Now, we are doing extensive contact tracing. We have a team assigned to do it. Since we are already observing reverse isolation for PDLs manifesting COVID19-like symptoms—meaning basta may cough, fever, and colds, or meron kang premedical conditions—we can ascertain with slight ease where to focus our efforts from among the total number of PDLs we have in the facility,” he noted. “With the situation at hand, the BJMP continues to test concerned PDLs through the help of the local health department of Quezon city and the DOH,” Solda added. Earlier, Solda said that aside from adherence to social distancing guidelines and daily disinfection, they regularly monitor the condition of PDLs “to check on their morale and mental health concerns.” He said all workers of the BJMP’s 468 jails all over the country have decided to give 1.5 percent of their base pay, which will be donated to te government’s anti-COVID-19 efforts. READ MORE: 9 PDLs, 9 BJMP personnel test positive for COVID-19, say jail chief
DILG Undersecretary and spokesman Jonathan Malaya(PCOO / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) “Nanawagan kami sa LGUs who are doing their own mass testing, in case there are jails in respective areas at ma-i-report ang jail warden na PUI, isama sa priority (For jails where the warden might be reported as PUI to be prioritized). We are closely working with the Department of Health (DoH). Lahat ay nakatutok para mapalagaan ang detainees (Everyone is keen on keeping detainees safe),” Malaya said. Since each locality has a BJMP-run city jail, Malaya said it will be better for LGUs to assist the DOH in providing aid to the BJMP, citing that the Quezon city government and its health department have been in close contact with Quezon City Jail officials. BJMP Community Relations Services head, Jail Chief Inspector Xavier Solda, said the nine PDLs who tested positive for the disease were from the male dormitory of the Quezon City Jail. He added they were among 41 PDLs who were earlier isolated and tested for COVID-19 after having direct contact with an ex-detainee who died of heart attack but was suspected to be positive for the virus. An elderly PDL was brought to the Lung Center of the Philippines due to a medical condition but was tested negative for COVID-19. Solda assured the BJMP is taking all precautionary measures to ensure the welfare of PDLs in its facilities. “Now, we are doing extensive contact tracing. We have a team assigned to do it. Since we are already observing reverse isolation for PDLs manifesting COVID19-like symptoms—meaning basta may cough, fever, and colds, or meron kang premedical conditions—we can ascertain with slight ease where to focus our efforts from among the total number of PDLs we have in the facility,” he noted. “With the situation at hand, the BJMP continues to test concerned PDLs through the help of the local health department of Quezon city and the DOH,” Solda added. Earlier, Solda said that aside from adherence to social distancing guidelines and daily disinfection, they regularly monitor the condition of PDLs “to check on their morale and mental health concerns.” He said all workers of the BJMP’s 468 jails all over the country have decided to give 1.5 percent of their base pay, which will be donated to te government’s anti-COVID-19 efforts. READ MORE: 9 PDLs, 9 BJMP personnel test positive for COVID-19, say jail chief