The Trade Union Section of the Grouping of the Penitentiary Administration Bodies (Acaip) has lamented the non-suspension of the musical performances and the medal ceremony, which are being held this Tuesday at the Ocaña I Penitentiary Center, in the framework of the Day of Castilla-La Mancha, after the new outbreak of coronavirus in the prison.
Acaip points out that in recent days new cases of covid-19 have been occurring among the inmates of the different modules of Ocaña I and that this Monday the number of infected rose to 36 inmates, without ruling out that new positives may appear in these coming days. given “the architectural structure of the center and the relaxation of control measures.”
The union recalls that the regulations establish, in the measures of early detection, surveillance and control of covid-19, that close contacts do not need to quarantine, however during the ten days after the last exposure they must take extreme precautions using constantly wearing the mask and maintaining adequate hand hygiene, as well as avoiding contact with vulnerable people.
Likewise, it also contemplates that “these measures may vary if the epidemiological situation of covid-19 changes or the specific situation of a prison so requires.”
Given this, the union section has considered that the specific situation of the center has changed “substantially”, but “we are stunned how despite these devastating data, the activities scheduled for today continue to be maintained”, with more than 22 people from the outside, mixing inmates from the two modules of the center and those of nursing.
At this point, the union emphasizes that “prisons are closed institutions where many of the inmates have previous pathologies and are immunosuppressed”, and points out that this outbreak is the sixth that has occurred in the prison “and, at the moment, it is the second with the highest number of positive inmates since the pandemic began more than two years ago.
In Acaip’s opinion, this new outbreak contributes to increasing the pressure and workload in this prison where its workers “have suffered very hard times and once again have to face a new health crisis”, as well as maintaining the security of the center. That is why they understand that the non-suspension of the activities scheduled for the Day of the Region “means putting the health of prison workers and the prison population at risk in an unnecessary and reckless way.”
For these reasons, he has requested the postponement of the activities scheduled for this Tuesday “until when the epidemiological circumstances allow it and the rest of the sanitary measures are adopted to guarantee the health of workers and inmates.”
