Over 1,000 PDLs in Manila City Jail have tuberculosis —BJMP

Over 1,000 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) in the male dormitory of the Manila City Jail have been infected with pulmonary tuberculosis, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology confirmed on Sunday.

According to Jhomer Apresto's report on Super Radyo dzBB, BJMP National Capital Region (NCR) spokesperson Midzfar Omar said the infected PDLs are currently isolated in their respective facilities.

About 200 more PDLs are still awaiting the results of their confirmatory tests.

There are about 5,000 PDLs in the Manila City Jail’s male dormitory.

The BJMP-NCR earlier said more than a hundred prisoners in Pasay City Jail were isolated and are suspected to be infected with pulmonary tuberculosis as well.

Bureau of Corrections spokesperson Gabriel Chaclag also earlier said that the reported 200 pulmonary tuberculosis cases inside the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City is the "usual" number of TB cases in the facility.

He said then that there was no outbreak in the national penitentiary and said they have been managing the condition of all TB patients even amid the peak of the coronavirus pandemic. — Giselle Ombay/BM, GMA News