Jail visits stopped as coronavirus infections rise

THE BUREAU of Corrections has suspended jail visits at all prison facilities nationwide to prevent more novel coronavirus infections. The suspension starts today.

“Code Red Sublevel 1 is a preventive call to alert all public and private health care providers’ readiness if a sudden increase of cases happened, just what happened in Italy and other countries in Asia,” the bureau said in a statement on Tuesday.

Jail Director General Gerald Q. Bantag in statement said the safety and well-being of all stakeholders were of paramount concern.

The Health department the country’s health alert status to Code Red sublevel 1 after the first local transmission was reported last week.

Confirmed cases of the virus had also spiked to 35 after almost a month of no reported cases.

Jails under BuCor include the national penitentiary in Muntinlupa City, Correctional Institution for Women, Davao, Iwahig, San Ramon, and Sablayan Prison and Penal Farms, and Leyte Regional Prison. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas