Two personnel of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) died last Monday, Aug. 30, due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) infections.

This was disclosed by BuCor Deputy Director General Gabriel P. Chaclag during the “Laging Handa” public briefing held on Tuesday, Aug. 31.

Chaclag said one of the two personnel was from the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City, while the other is from the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City.

Those who died, he said, were not directly involved in the protection and supervision of persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) as they were engaged in administrative work.

But he assured that BuCor has been implementing health measures laid down by the bureau’s Directorate for Health Services.

“As of now we have 33 cases and that is considering the population of PDLs which reaches 48,367 and personnel population of 4,065,” he pointed out.

The infected PDLs are quarantined at the isolation facility called “Site Harry,” while the personnel are isolated at “Site Leo,” he added.

Those with mild symptoms are being provided with vitamins and food supplements, he stressed.

He said BuCor intends to have more personnel and PDLs vaccinated against COVID-19.

“In about two weeks gusto natin po 50 percent po sana ng PDLs ay mabigyan na rin ng first dose (In about two weeks we want to get 50 percent of PDLs vaccinated with their first dose),” he said.

He noted that only three percent of the around 3,200 PDLs at the CIW remain unvaccinated, while, seven percent of the personnel at the CIW have yet to get vaccines.

“Dito naman po sa New Bilibid Prison, almost 80 percent na rin po ang vaccinated na personnel pero wala pa pong vaccinated na PDL (Here at the Bilibid almost 80 percent of the personnel have been vaccinated but no PDL has been vaccinated yet),” he disclosed.

“Nakalatag na rin po yung programa sa mga PDLs na susunod na sila sa ating vaccination program (The vaccination program is already laid out for the PDLs for their vaccination),” he said.

“Hindi po tayo tumitigil sa paghanap ng mga vaccine sources at nakikipag-usap tayo sa local government unit ng Muntinlupa City and also with the DOH and the IATF for possible sources of vaccines for our PDLs (We are not stopping in finding vaccine sources and we have been talking with the Muntinlupa local government, Department of Health and the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases for possible vaccine sources for our PDLs),” he added.