THE Prisons Department has tabled its latest standard operating procedures to curb the spread of Covid-19 among inmates and prison staff, said Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

The senior minister told the press this afternoon that Prisons director-general Zulkifli Omar has tabled the SOPs before the National Security Council (NSC).

“The D-G has already tabled the SOP. New inmates will be placed at transit centres where they will be screened and quarantined for 14 days.

“Swab tests will be done (before incarceration) and, after testing negative, (inmates) will be sent to prison and when they arrive, they will be kept in isolation for another five days before being allowed to stay in their own cell.

“As for old inmates, the Health Ministry will conduct a screening for all of them,” Ismail Sabri said.

On Saturday, Malaysia recorded the highest number of new daily infections at 869, of which 186 cases were from Penang Remand Prison, Seberang Perai Prison and Alor Star Prison.

Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah had said there was a need to relook current prison SOPs.

On October 6, Zulkifli announced that his department will grant inmates release on licence (ROL) to minor offenders sentenced to less than one year imprisonment and who have less than three months to serve.

The Prisons Department has been forced to relook its SOPs after a spike in Covid-19 cases at its facilities.

Hundreds of infections have been detected in prisons in Sabah, Kedah and Penang in recent weeks.

One of the hardest-hit prisons is Alor Star Prison in Kedah, with at least 1,443 infections.

The cluster was detected on September 30, following the death of a 46-year-old staff member. Subsequent tests discovered that the virus had spread among inmates.

A cluster in Sabah, which originated from a district police lock-up in Lahad Datu and spread to Tawau Prison, has recorded at least 1,046 cases.

Another cluster at Penang Remand Prison has seen at least 377 cases and one death.

Today, the authorities placed Kepayan Prison in Sabah, as well as its staff housing quarters, under an enhanced movement-control order (EMCO) from Wednesday.

Ismail Sabri said the order will affect 3,511 individuals, comprising 2,914 inmates and 597 prison staff.

“We have agreed to impose the EMCO at Kepayan Prison, including its staff quarters, from October 21 to November 3.

Earlier, Tawau Prison in Sabah, which comes under the Benteng cluster, was also placed under administrative lockdown. – October 19, 2020.