THE Baguio City Jail has undergone massive disinfection procedure after a person deprived of liberty (PDL) tested positive for the new virus that causes the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).
Lawyer Pol Balag-ey, Baguio City Jail superintendent, said swab testing and contact tracing procedures were immediately conducted.
Balag-ey said the PDL has been brought to the Baguio General Hospital and while those who may have gotten in contact with the patient, identified as Bernard Agbuya, 25, who tested positive last May 31, have undergone swab testing.
"A massive disinfection of our jail facility was conducted on Sunday, May 30, and another one this June 1st. The personnel who came in contact with him because of the triage have been isolated at the Teachers Camp community isolation facility pending the result of the swab test," Balag-ey said.
"We already conducted a mass testing inside our jail facility. There were 84 persons whose swab tests were taken, 19 of those are personnel deployed inside while 20 personnel deployed outside the response center also underwent swab testing and are awaiting test results while being isolated," he added.
Visitation schedules inside the jail facility have been canceled since March 14 and because of the incident.
At present, the city jail only allows the entry of money and medicine, which is subject to strict disinfection procedures, while food and other supplies are not allowed.
"The city's contact tracing teams are vigorously doing their job and we are calling on those who may have gotten in contact with him because I think he is telling a lie because according to him, he alleged that he did not get in contact with anyone or any outsider, meaning local transmission but where did he get it?" Balag-ey said.
The Baguio City Jail official reiterated his call for persons who visited the male dorm response team post from May 29 to 31 to coordinate immediately with the City Health Services Office or the BCPO contact tracing team.