The Department of Correctional Services said that 23 officials and three inmates at the East London Correctional Centre tested positive for covid19.
Justice and Correctional Services Minister, Ronald Lamola, visited the Centre on Sunday.
“We are sad to announce that we have recorded 26 positive cases of COVID-19 here in East London, at Medium C Female Centre, for 23 officials and three offenders,” he said.
The Minister said that the National Institute for Communicable Diseases conducted a mass screening of officials and inmates after the two officers earlier tested positive.
One of them had been to a funeral where she had interacted with people from abroad.
In a statement on Sunday, Minister Lamola said that the NICD had tested 268 offenders at Medium C Female Centre, including 30 offenders who showed symptoms of COVID-19.
He said 266 officials in the East London Correctional Centre were also tested and this included the 92 officials from the Medium C Female Centre.
Lamola said 193 offenders were tested on Saturday and the remaining 46 offenders will be tested on Monday.
“In terms of the results released by the NICD, twenty-one (21) officials tested positive at Medium C Female Centre, thus making a total of 23 positive officials, 40 officials tested negative and we await (the) results of 40 officials,”
The Minister said 13 officials at the Maximum Centre tested negative, three officials at Medium B tested negative and six officials from the Area Commissioner’s Office also tested negative.
“Three offenders tested positive, ten offenders tested negative and we await (the) results of all other offenders who have been tested. We expect the outstanding results on 14 April,” he said.
Lamola said single cells within Medium C Female Centre have been designated as quarantine and isolation areas.
He said officials working in these designated areas have been supplied with Personal Protective Equipment which includes disposable suits and gowns, shoe covers, N95 masks as well as eye shields.
