Public Health Minister Rafael Sánchez Cárdenas said one of the two inmates who died at La Victoria National Penitentiary had Covid-19 coronavirus. The other case still needs to be confirmed.
In a press conference transmitted by digital media, he reported that in the past few hours some 192 rapid tests were performed in the Alaska Pavilion of La Victoria prison where the government says inmates showed symptoms. He added that eight of the tests will be repeated to check whether or not they are positive for the virus. As reported, around 1,000 rapid response tests will be carried out to inmates.
Sánchez Cárdenas also indicated a total of 21 persons with symptoms will also be tested by the PCR diagnostic test.
Of the total number of rapid tests, 183 were negative. He said prisoners that are suspect were separated from others. The prisoner that tested positive was relocated.
On Saturday, the Attorney General’s Office had reported that two inmates of La Victoria, located in the municipal district of the same name in northern Santo Domingo, died allegedly due to the coronavirus.
Likewise, the authorities of the Ministry of Public Health and the Prisons Department carried out a day of cleansing and disinfection in the prison of La Victoria, as part of the prevention and mitigation actions of Covid-19.
So far, 1,745 positive cases of coronavirus have been reported in the country, 82 dead, 17 recovered, 24 discharged and 3,438 persons tested negative.
Read more in Spanish:
Listin Diario
Hoy
6 April 2020