Vaccination begins at Min Buri prison, with aim of inoculating all inmates in a week
The Department of Corrections on Saturday started vaccinating prisoners at Min Buri Remand Prison in a bid to control the spread of Covid-19 among inmates.
“By the end of Saturday, 1,500 inmates would be vaccinated while all the 3,831 inmates in the Min Buri prison would be inoculated within one week,” the department’s director-general, Ayut Sinthopphan, said.
“The Department of Disease Control has supplied two types of vaccines -- Sinovac for those under 60 years old, and AstraZenecca for elders and those with underlying health problems. Navamin 9 Hospital has sent medical staff to help with the vaccination.”
As of Saturday noon, the Department of Corrections reported 523 new infections among prison inmates, while cumulative cases under treatment are 14,348, or 4.61 per cent of the total 311,268 prisoners nationwide, while 218 prisoners have been cured.
Meanwhile, 49 officials of the Department of Corrections are being hospitalised after testing positive.
Chiang Mai Central Prison has reported the most number of cases -- 3,575 -- followed by Thonburi Remand Prison 2,830 and Bangkok Remand Prison 2,352.
“So far, the department has tested 37,288 prisoners for Covid-19 via swab method. Prisons that report 100 per cent negative tests will have to undergo testing again every seven days as a precaution until the situation returns to normal,” Ayut added.
