Prison Officers Want COVID-19 Testing As One of Its Own Fights for Life

Prison officers at the Bahamas Department of Corrections are calling on health officials to render COVID-19 testing for its officers and inmates after another correctional officer tested positive for the infectious disease.

In a statement, the officers said there is an upsurge of cases in the Maximum Security section of the prison.

The officers said Commissioner Charles Murphy has not been truthful in revealing the accurate number of infections at the facility.

“Enough is Enough…

“The commissioner [is] joking. The medical department [is] joking along with Sister Strachan and TCN/Principal Officer Mackey who are cherry-picking which officers should go on quarantine.

“The commissioner is in denial.  He failed to give a true report on the numbers of officers who have been sick with COVID since last year.”

One of its recent cases is a correctional officer who is reported to be in ICU a the Princess Margaret Hospital, connected to a ventilator.

“People’s lives are not a joke.  Please stop playing and test these officers who have been exposed and discontinue the practice of evaluating staff on paper and a phone call.

“Officers, staff and inmates were affected from day one,” officers said.

The big picture

The country is in the third wave of the virus and Prime Minister Hubert Minnis has called on everyone above the age of 18 to get vaccinated.

Vaccination centers have been opened to inoculate individuals willing to receive the jab.

To date, the country has recorded 12,889 COVID-19 cases; 11740 people have recovered while 812 cases remain active.