The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

NATIONAL Security Minister Marvin Dames said there is no outbreak of COVID-19 at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services.

“I don’t know of any outbreak,” he said when asked about the issue yesterday. “I think I was informed of a particular case that occurred outside of the prison and I’ll get the full facts when I get an update from the Commissioner.”

Mr Dames said he was told that some officers had to quarantine after being exposed to the positive case but was unable to say how many prison officers in total are currently in isolation.

He said: “I mean don’t forget now, a lot of these persons are not residing at the prison and so they’re going to interact with people every now and again and persons with COVID they have to do the right thing.

“Being in quarantine is not bad. I think it’s good and when you recognise that persons would’ve been in the presence of others who had COVID, you have to take the necessary precautions to ensure that you don’t have an outbreak.”

The minister also said since the start of the pandemic, the number of infections at the correctional facility has been relatively low and added that officials intend to keep it that way moving forward.

“I think the prison ought to be commended for the work that the commissioner and his officers have done to date. I mean when COVID first started during the beginning of last year, you heard of these massive outbreaks in prisons around the world and we have been able to keep our numbers at a minimum and that’s our intention moving forward.”

It is not clear when the vaccine rollout will take place at the prison, however, Mr Dames told reporters yesterday that officials are still working on plans in regard to the matter.

According to the government’s latest vaccine tracker, 91,967 people have received one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine while 57,593 people have been fully vaccinated.