KAMPALA – Following the confirmation of 154 COVID-19 cases from Amuru prison, Prisons Spokesperson Frank Baine has revealed testing for the virus is going to be done on suspects before they are taken to prison.
Addressing the media on August 24,2020, Baine said unlike schools, prisons can’t be closed.
“The prisons is going to hurry and test the over 6,000 prisoners and over 2,000 officers for COVID-19,” he said
He added that they are confident they will get better after being taken to the hospital.
154 cases were on August 22,2020 registered at Amuru Prisons including inmates and one prison staff.
Health Minister Aceng revealed that one of the prisoners at Amuru prisons presented with COVID-19 like signs and symptoms where a total of 20 contacts were listed of which one turned positive for COVID-19.
She said the confirmed inmate was admitted at Gulu Regional Referral Hospital and has since recovered and been discharged.
The Ministry working with Uganda Prisons Services has since relocated all the confirmed 152 inmates to Gulu Central Prison which is acting as an auxiliary isolation facility.
“The prison staff is admitted in Gulu Regional Referral Hospital.Amuru Prison is a holding prison where new prisoners are admitted before being transferred to the regular prison facility,” said Aceng.
The minister further noted that due to this fact, it is possible that a prisoner from Amuru community could have been taken to the prison with infection while asymptomatic.
“In any case, Amuru Districts is one of the hotspot districts with a high level of community transmission,” she said.
