GEORGE TOWN, Oct 7 — Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow today said the state Prisons Department has written to the courts seeking a postponement of all hearings, including for remand orders after an inmate died of the infectious Covid-19.
Chow assured Penangites that the virus outbreak in the prison is under control after the death of the 85-year-old inmate yesterday.
“Immediate actions were taken by the relevant parties to control the spread,” he said in a statement today after the state executive council was briefed on the situation inside the penitentiary.
He said experiences in other states will be used as guides in handling the incident.
He said all of the staff and inmates in the prison will be tested for the coronavirus, adding that those who were in close contact with the deceased will be prioritised.
“The Penang state government will do everything possible to protect all Penangites in all situations,” he said.
The Health Ministry confirmed a Covid-19 fatality in the Penang Prison yesterday, saying the inmate succumbed to the virus while undergoing treatment at the Penang Hospital.
Earlier today, Penang Prisons Department director Mohamed Jusoh Ismail said inmates and guards who were in close contact with the victim were immediately swabbed yesterday.
Today, the state Health Department tested more inmates and guards at the prison.
