TWO prisoners from the holding bay at Lusignan Prison have tested positive for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) despite the many precautions that have been taken, Director of Prisons, Gladwin Samuels, has confirmed.

He said the official results were received on Tuesday.

The director said the circumstances under which the two prisoners contracted the virus were unknown and contact tracing had begun.

“All steps are being taken to segregate persons with whom they came into contact. Resources are being gathered to prevent further spread. All persons who are exhibiting signs and symptoms of COVID-19 will be examined and exposed to the Standard Operational Procedures outlined by the Ministry of Health,” the prison director said.

He noted that systems are also being put in place to monitor the rest of the prison population and to monitor prison officers and staff.

Further, he said the steps taken over the months to prevent COVID-19 from the prison will be revisited and expanded where necessary.

“The Guyana Prison Service wishes to reassure all prisoners and prison officers that this matter is being viewed very seriously and that all mitigation strategies are in place for their protection,” Samuels said.

He explained that all new admissions are isolated for 14 days while an assessment is done by the medical staff before they are placed with the general prison population.