Coronavirus outbreak in Philippines jail sees 123 inmates infected

MANILA, April 22 (Reuters) - A prison in the Philippines is
suffering from a major outbreak of the new coronavirus with 123
infected inmates, officials said on Wednesday, adding to
concerns among activists about contagion risks in some of the
world's most overcrowded jails.
The mayor of Cebu City said a new building in the prison
capable of handling 3,000 people would be used as an isolation
facility to contain an outbreak that accounts for 40% of cases
in the Philippines' second biggest city.
There were no details about the possible source of the
outbreak. Eighteen cases have been found at a jail in Manila's
Quezon City, among them nine members of staff, and media has
reported infections at other facilities.
New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) was among several
groups that called for inmates held for minor, non-violent
offences, or those with health conditions, to be freed from
Philippine prisons to create more space.
Activists globally have been urging governments to free
political prisoners.
HRW this month warned of the likelihood of a serious
coronavirus outbreak in the Philippines "threatening the lives
of prisoners whose health the authorities have a duty to
protect".
The Cebu jail outbreak is among the biggest known
coronavirus clusters in the Philippines, which as of Wednesday
had 6,710 infections and 446 deaths. About 70% of cases are in
the capital, Manila.
Philippine prisons are notoriously overcrowded due to a
combination of poverty, high crime rates and a judicial system
unable to cope with a huge case volume.
A shortage of public defenders, overwhelmed judges and
insufficient funds to post bail means suspects typically spend
long periods - sometimes years - in detention awaiting court
hearings that often end up with acquittals.
As of December, nearly 90,000 people in the Philippines were
detained awaiting trial, corrections bureau data showed.
President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs has exacerbated the
problem, each year adding tens of thousands to jails, with 71%
of inmates held on drugs-related charges. (https://reut.rs/2NUfPcl)
The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that due to concerns about
the coronavirus, judges should urgently free prisoners eligible
for temporary or early release.