Wave of 31 Covid infections breaks out at a Malaga prison

Prison authorities at the Archidona jail have said that the outbreak affects 31 inmates and is 'controlled'

EUROPA PRESS

Thursday, 21 October 2021, 12:22

WhatsApp
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Telegram

A prison officers' union, the CCOO, has claimed that there has been a "strong outbreak" of Covid-19 in wing 1 of the Malaga II prison in Archidona. But prison authorities maintain that it is "controlled" and that most of the coronavirus infections amongst inmates are mild or asymptomatic cases.

A statement from the CCOO, said the wing houses inmates who carry out activities in other areas of the prison, which has caused “a very considerable problem due to the fact that important services such as the kitchen and the distribution of food, among others, are affected”.

The union has said that, up to now, there are 31 confirmed cases, although “It is not ruled out that this figure will increase, due to the degree of mobility within the prison that the affected persons have.”

Wings locked down

According to the union wings 1 and 4 have now been locked down and said "there is great concern among workforce about the size of the outbreak. No detection tests have been carried out on them, so the real repercussions of the outbreak among the prison staff is unknown."

"The fact that an outbreak of this size occurs in a facility where the majority of the prison population and staff are vaccinated, is indicative that something is not being done properly to prevent Covid from returning to prisons," the union added in the statement.

Testing of prisoners and staff

The CCOO has once again said that “special prevention measures should be maintained, such as periodic testing of prisoners and staff.”

Meanwhile, the prison authorities have confirmed there has been a coronavirus outbreak but say "it is under control." Specifically, it affects 31 inmates, "the vast majority of them, as they are vaccinated, have mild symptoms or are asymptomatic. It was immediately brought to the attention of the Junta de Andalucía health authorities and we operate under their criteria, both to carry out testing and by following their protocols.”

Noticia patrocinada