Vaccinations accelerated for inmates following Covid-19 outbreaks at prisons

More than 74,000 inmates at Thailand’s overcrowded prisons and detention centres have tested positive for Covid-19 over the past several months, which is about a fourth of the total number of prisoners in the country. Correctional facilities stopped allowing visits earlier this year and vaccinations have been accelerated. According to Nation Thailand, Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin said prisons will start allowing visits from inmates’ family and friends once all inmates have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Over the last several months, a total of 74,928 inmates have tested positive for Covid-19 and 169 of those infected have died, according to data from Thailand’s Department of Corrections. 16 of the 142 prisons and detention centres have active Covid-19 cases.

More than 83% of the 285,570 inmates have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. According to data from the Department of Corrections, a total of 142,781 inmates, or 50% of the country’s prison population, have received two doses of the vaccine. Once all of the inmates are vaccinated, visits from the prisoners’ relatives can resume.

SOURCE: Nation Thailand