COVID cases on the rise behind bars

31 inmates and 16 prison staff have tested positive for COVID-19, according to prison officials who say the increase in numbers was inevitable, considering the ongoing surge of community spread of the coronavirus.

The increase has prompted the Her Majesty’s Cayman Islands Prison Service to ramp up their COVID-19 response, which includes daily mass testing and a swift relocation of positive inmates to an isolation wing.

“Prisoners who test positive are moved to an isolation wing where they have access to regular checks and care, as necessary, from the nurse(s) on-staff,” said acting Prison Director Daniel Greaves. “The current isolation wing can accommodate 35 socially distant prisoners. As persons test negative, they will be moved off the isolation unit.”

As of Friday 21 January, there were 197 prisoners in custody in Cayman. At HMP Northward, the male prison, there are 176 inmates being housed across multiple wings. While at HMP Fairbanks, the female prison, there are 14 inmates. A third location called the ‘Enhanced Unit’ houses an additional 7 inmates.

Of the 31 positive cases, one was a female inmate. However, the number of positive cases is expected to increase as there are 73 prisoner results that are still pending.

“Plans are already in place to safely accommodate prisoners in an additional isolation unit should the number of positive cases increase,” added Greaves in the statement.

In Sept., 2021, when the first positive case of COVID-19 was recorded at HMP Northward, prison officials suspended in-person visits, moving to virtual visits instead.

Since then, prison officials have revised the rules and persons requiring access to the prison must first produce a negative lateral flow test and are required to wear masks and sanitise their hands before entry.

Prisoners who are required to leave their compound, for court or hospital appointments, must first produce a negative LFT test.

Prison staff are also required to do “observed” LFTs daily, before reporting to work.

“To ensure adequate staffing of the prison, management enlists healthy personnel to work extra hours to keep the service operational,” said Greaves. “Thankfully, since the start of community spread only two staff members have required hospitalisation, both of whom have since returned to duties.”

Prison officials say, “today only one prisoner has required hospitalization.”

“There is a continuum of medical care for prisoners which includes the option of transporting them when hospitalisation is required,” said Nurse Winslett Blake, the nurse assigned to HMCIPS. “Prisoners’ health is something we take very seriously. In the event that a prisoner is in need of hospitalisation, they will have access to appropriate hospital facilities and medical practitioners.”

91% of prison staff have been vaccinated, while 60% of prisoners are fully vaccinated.