BuCor confirms first COVID-19 death in NBP, 40 inmates isolated

The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) confirmed the first COVID-19 death in the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), involving a 56-year-old male inmate.

The inmate, initially tested on April 17, was confirmed positive by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) and died on April 23.

Following contact tracing, 40 other inmates who had contact with him have been placed in isolation as a precautionary measure.

As of April 24, there are 22 COVID-19-positive prisoners under BuCor: one from NBP, 21 from the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW), and one CIW medical staff.

Eighteen inmates from the CIW, previously positive for COVID-19, were transferred to the NBP on April 21, a move protested by Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi due to lack of consultation.

The two new confirmed cases on April 24 were convicts from the Correctional Institute for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City, bringing the total inmate patients from that facility to 21.

These women convicts were brought to the NBP isolation facility called Site Harry, where other exposed inmates will also be housed for monitoring and testing.