Rambharat: Prison protected against covid19 outbreak

AGRICULTURE Minister Clarence Rambharat assured senators on Tuesday that measures had been taken to ensure there was no outbreak of covid19 at the Maximum Security Prison (MSP) at Golden Grove, Arouca.

Speaking on behalf of National Security Minister Stuart Young in the Senate, Rambharat said four measures were taken to deal with the issue.

"The first is that, from the outset, the prison system built out a parallel system to inmates who may test positive and also for the primary contacts to be dealt with."

Rambharat reminded senators this system was in operation from the "early days of the pandemic."

The second measure was the continued co-operation between the Prison Service and the Health Ministry to isolate inmates and to treat those who test covid19-positive within the prison system.

"The third measure is that the prison continues to take the appropriate precautions in line with the advice of the Ministry of Health, in the situation involving covid nationally, in situations involving covid in the prisons."

Rambharat disclosed there is a place within the MSP which is used to house covid19-positive inmates separately from the rest of the prison population.

Responding to a question from Opposition Senator Wade Mark, Rambharat said, "As with any other covid case in TT, the health care resources which are available in the country, the support of the regional partners and the support of the international partners (are) available to the prison system."

He added that the North Central Regional Health Authority was the focal point of that support.