DILG asks LGUs to include jails in COVID-19 mass testing

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is urging local government units (LGUs) to include jail facilities in their mass testing for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

This call follows the disclosure by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) that nine persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) and nine BJMP personnel have tested positive for the disease.

DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya emphasized that inmates who are considered persons under investigation (PUI) should be prioritized in the mass testing efforts.

Malaya stated that LGUs can assist BJMP facilities within their jurisdictions by including them in their testing initiatives.

The nine PDLs who tested positive are from the Quezon City Jail and have been placed under isolation.

The BJMP is implementing precautionary measures such as contact tracing, isolation, social distancing, and disinfection within jails nationwide.