Fourth prison Covid-19 outbreak: 1,725 inmates infected at Thonburi prison

Thailand’s Department of Corrections is now tackling Covid-19 outbreaks at 4 prisons. Over the weekend, more than 1,700 Covid-19 infections were detected at the Thonburi Remand Prison, adding to the more than 3,000 infections at the Klong Prem Central Prison, Bangkok Remand Prison and Central Women’s Correctional Institution.

Prior to the recent prison Covid-19 clusters, hundreds of inmates at prisons in Chiang Mai and the southern province Narathiwat tested positive for the coronavirus. Human rights activists have called on Thai authorities to tackle the longstanding problem of overcrowded prisons and to release inmates who are detained for minor offenses or who are awaiting trial for non-violent crimes.

Last week, the department announced the Covid-19 outbreaks at the Bangkok Remand Prison and Central Women’s Correctional Institution, infecting a total of 2,835 inmates. The news came out after a pro-democracy protest leader tested positive for Covid-19 a week after she was released from detention.

Another Covid-19 outbreak infecting 506 people was reported at the Klong Prem Central Prison, a maximum security prison in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district on the same grounds as the Central Women’s Correctional Institution.

On Saturday, the department reported that 621 inmates at the Thonburi prison had contracted Covid-19. Another 1,104 more infections at the prison were confirmed yesterday. There are 4,169 inmates at the Thonburi prison and 1,725 of them are currently infected with the coronavirus.

At the Thonburi prison, most of the infected inmates are either asymptomatic, or just have mild symptoms. Inmates with coronavirus symptoms are taking the anti-viral drug Favipiravir.

SOURCE: Thai PBS