Zero Covid-19 cases in Penang Remand Prison since September

Opalyn Mok

27 October 2021 at 12:20 am·1-min read

A State Health Department vehicle is seen entering the Penang Remand Prison after a prisoner tested positive for Covid 19, October 6, 2020. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin

GEORGE TOWN, Oct 27 — The Penang Remand Prison has not recorded any new Covid-19 cases among its inmates here since last month, its deputy director Mohd Suhairi Awang said today.

He said the 2,238 inmates have been given the single dose CanSino vaccine on September 27, attributing strict compliance to SOPs for the zero Covid-19 cases over the past one-and-a-half months.

“All of the 331 uniform and non-uniform officers and prison personnel have also been fully vaccinated,” he told reporters after receiving 2,000 packs of Deepavali cookies and murukku from the Malaysia Hindudharma Mamandram Penang here.

Mohd Suhairi said since all of the inmates have been vaccinated, there was no issue for them to be taken to the courts.

However, the prison personnel will continue to maintain strict SOPs when transporting the inmates to the courts and back.

“As for new inmates who are yet to be vaccinated, we separate them from the other inmates first and take steps for them to be vaccinated in phases.

“We have also set aside a special isolation building for inmates with symptoms as part of our preventive measures to stop Covid-19 from spreading,” Mohd Suhairi said.

Malaysia Hindudharma Mamandram Penang chairman Thanabalan Nanda Kumar said the organisation has been distributing Deepavali cookies and murukku to the remand prison for 20 years.

The group has also distributed 2,000 packs of similar cookies and murukku to the Seberang Prai Prison in Jawi.

The goodies will then be distributed among the inmates in both prisons.