NASSAU, BAHAMAS — An off-duty prison officer has been infected with coronavirus, according to Minister of National Security Marvin Dames, who confirmed today the Department of Correctional Services remains COVID-free.
Responding to questions from reporters ahead of a Cabinet meeting, Dames said: “I think that there was one officer — I don’t think he was on — that may have gotten COVID, but he was not among the general population.”
Asked whether additional testing was performed at the facility in light of the case, the minister said: “We are continuing to do what we need to do and as I said before, we continue to monitor every day; continue to take action every day; and we’re pleased with where we are at.”
Dames outlined some of the measures undertaken at the department to mitigate against COVID-19 cases.
He said the medical team at the facility has been “exceptional”, ensuring proper isolation of new inmates, consistent health assessments, including temperature checks, and restrictive visitation.
Frontline workers including doctors, nurses and police officers have also been impacted by the virus.
According to the minister, more than 70 officers were in self-isolation in Grand Bahama.
He said far fewer officers were in isolation in New Providence, though he did not provide a figure.
As it relates to law enforcement agencies, Dames stressed the impact on the day-to-day operations has been minimal.
“We would have prepared COVID plans, preventative plans for all of our law enforcement agencies on the front end and to date that has been working extremely well,” he said.
“We will continue to monitor and wherever we see risk, we isolate to ensure that it does not result in major disruption in our operations. To date, it hasn’t, and we’re pleased by that and it means that those plans that were implemented on the front end are working.”
In a July 15 interview, Commissioner of the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services Charles Murphy said forty-eight inmates were pardoned as the facility continued to explore measures to mitigate the potential spread of the virus in the institution.
The former inmates were nearing the end of their sentences.
Other jurisdictions have used early release to reduce prison populations.
The Bahamas remains in its second wave of the virus.
Since the July 1 reopening of the country’s borders to international commercial carriers, there have been 278 confirmed cases.
As of yesterday, the country has reported 382 confirmed cases of the virus.
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