Ninety-two inmates are infected with SARS-CoV-2, and there are also 91 active cases among workers of the Directorate-General for Reinsertion and Prison Services (DGRSP), including 72 prison guards.

In a response sent to Agência Lusa, a DGRSP indicates that in the universe of 11,400 inmates there are 92 active cases, while the number of clinically recovered cases rises to 1,501. Among young people hospitalized in educational centers, there is one infected and 23 cases considered clinically recovered.

As for DGRSP workers, there are currently 91 active cases, distributed among 72 prison guards, two health professionals and 17 other employees. The number of DGRSP workers clinically recovered reaches 718.

According to the DGRSP, the vaccination coverage rate of workers is 87.96%, that of prisoners is 92.42% and that of young people interned in educational centers is 88.42%. 60,799 tests (PCR and rapid) were carried out, between screenings from suspected or confirmed cases, under the protocol with INEM and INSA for prison requirements professionals and for inmates entered and in quarantine, in addition to those admitted to the São João de Prison Hospital God.

Asked about the restrictive measures adopted in prisons and educational centers given the exponential increase in cases in Portugal, the DGRSP guaranteed that they are following the general guidelines of public health for society, with the required adaptations to the reality of the prison and guardianship context. .

Among these measures are, for example, “prophylactic quarantine for inmates who enter from the street (entries into the system and short-term returns from jurisdictions), the provisional suspension of intimate visits and the carrying out of visits by prior scheduling and with acrylic separators, with visitors having to show a vaccination certificate or negative test result for covid-19, as well as the testing of inmates before transfer to another prison facility.”

The DGRSP emphasized the “positive evolution of the cases registered so far”, without any deaths among internees and workers, noting that the work carried out so far “allows for a favorable and short-term resolution” for situations still in progress.

The DGRSP universe encompasses around 20 thousand people, including workers, prisoners and young people interned in educational centers.