Prisoners housed at the Lusignan prison responded angrily yesterday morning over their safety, a day after two inmates tested positive for the Coronavirus (COVID-19), Director of Prisons Gladwin Samuels said.
In a statement issued yesterday afternoon, Samuels said the prisoners “vociferously” voiced their concerns by refusing breakfast and throwing objects including bricks at members of the Joint Services.
“Prisoners also aggressively spoke about the need for speedier trials and reduction and granting of bail for some categories of prisoners with minor offences,” the statement said.
As the situation escalated, a number of Joint Services ranks were dispatched to the location where they engaged the prisoners. “They were able to calm the prisoners and reassured them that steps were being taken to (improve) their situation at the location,” Samuels added.
Among the ranks were Regional Com-mander Khali Pareshram and Officer-in-Charge of the Lusignan Prison (ag) Senior Superintendent Deoraaj Gyandat.
Authorities on Tuesday confirmed that two prisoners of the Lusignan Prison tested positive for COVID-19.
“Despite taking all necessary precautions, two (02) prisoners from the Holding Bay at Lusignan have tested positive for the Coronavirus (COVID-19),” Samuels had said.
The results were received by the prison administration around 3pm Tuesday, he added while noting that the circumstances under which the two prisoners contracted the disease are currently unknown but contact tracing protocols have since commenced.
“All steps are being taken to segregate persons with whom they came into contact. Resources are being gathered to prevent further spread. All persons who are exhibiting signs and symptoms of COVID-19 will be examined and exposed to the Standard Operational Procedures outlined by the Ministry of Health,” Samuels stated.
The Prisons Director had further revealed that systems are being put in place to monitor the rest of the prison population along with prison officers and staff.
Testing
Samuels assured that the Guyana Prison Service (GPS) will be partnering with the Ministry of Health to facilitate testing within the prison population.
The process, he said will commence with those who had direct contact with the inmates who were tested positive. “Systematically, the rest of the prison population, including staff will be tested,” Samuels noted.
In recent months, the GPS had implemented a number of measures to avoid the spread of the disease within the prison population.
In a previous interview with Stabroek News, Samuels had said that among the measures taken were the early release of prisoners including those who suffer from illnesses.
He had said that the early release of inmates is part of an effort to address the issue of overcrowding in the facilities. Frequent sanitisation was also being done.
In the statement yesterday, Samuels said that the Ministry of Health will also be conducting sanitisation at the prisons thrice daily. “The Ministry of Health has also come on board to aid with the daily sanitization of the facility, which will be done using chemicals prescribed by the Ministry of Health. This sanitization, which has commenced, will be done thrice daily,” the statement explained.
Additionally, Samuels said that another quarantine area has been established so that inmates who were tested positive can be housed seperately from the prison population.
A team of medical staff was also deployed to complement the prison medical staff, the statement said.
The statement added that training will also be availed to prison personnel by the Health Ministry in an effort to accelerate the efficiency of the sanitisation exercise.
