NIBONG TEBAL, Nov 2 — A total of 14 inmates at the Seberang Perai Prison, Jawi near here waiting to be released within a month were confirmed positive for Covid-19 yesterday, said its director Zulkifli Abdul Manah.

He said all the prisoners were confirmed positive after undergoing the second Covid-19 screening test conducted by the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH).

"It is now a prison procedure that prisoners waiting to be released have to undergo a Covid-19 screening test to ensure they are free of the pandemic so that the virus does not spread outside when they are released.

"Currently, those who are positive are placed with other inmates who are confirmed positive and all of them are in stable condition and will only be released after they are fully recovered,” he said when contacted by Bernama today.

To date, Seberang Perai Prison has recorded 270 positive Covid-19 cases with three active cases involving prison officers, all of whom have recovered and discharged from Penang Hospital.

Seberang Perai Prison and its area including staff quarters, which involved 2,110 inmates, 1,129 prison staff and family members as well as 32 government employees, are currently under the enhanced movement control order (EMCO) until November 4. — Bernama