Inmates at three prisons test positive for COVID-19

A number of prisoners at the Lusignan Prison on the East Coast of Demerara, the Timehri Prison on the East Bank of Demerara, and the New Amsterdam Prison in Region Six, have tested positive for COVID-19.

Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony on Thursday revealed that four prison officers at New Amsterdam also tested positive for the virus while one inmate from the same facility also tested positive.

“Today, we have a few cases at Lusignan but those cases, having been tested and identified, we have isolated them in a special part at the Lusignan prison.

“At Timehri prison, 33 prisoners tested positive and are isolated in a special area from the prison population,” the minister revealed.

Dr Anthony assured that the prisoners and officers are in isolation and are also asymptomatic.

“We have the medical staff from the prison service who are monitoring them and most of them are asymptomatic, so once they go through that 10 days period in the end, they will be discharged from isolation,” the minister said.

After a screening and testing campaign for COVID-19 was initiated in the Lusignan Prison in September 2020, results found over 200 inmates were positive.

Since then, the ministry, along with the Guyana Prisons Service, have been working to put measures in place to mitigate against the spread of the disease. Hundreds of prisoners have also been released in an effort to reduce overcrowding in the prisons.