Several departments of the prison in Zaanstad are in quarantine, because corona infections have been detected among prisoners and staff. About 700 out of a total of 1000 inmates have to stay in their wards and are not allowed to receive visitors, reports NH News.
The Judicial Institutions Service (DJI) confirms to the regional broadcaster that 37 of the 700 prisoners have tested positive for corona. It is not clear how the virus entered the buildings.
The Zaanstad Judicial Complex is a huge prison in Westzaan, which consists of five clusters. They consist of departments. Six of those departments are in quarantine because there are multiple infections. This means that the prisoners are not allowed to leave there and therefore cannot do their usual work or do sports.
Airing once a day
One ward is in cell quarantine until November 7, which means that the inmates there are not allowed to leave their cells, only to air once a day on their own. “It is a drastic measure, but also necessary to prevent further spread,” DJI spokesman Robert Meijer told NH Nieuws.
According to him, the atmosphere is “generally calm” in the prison. “The majority of the detainees understand the situation. They see its importance for their own safety and health. Our employees do their best to maintain a good atmosphere. The situation demands a lot from our staff.”
Vaccination rate prisoners
It is not the first time that there have been corona cases in the Zaan prison. Last year, certain departments also had to go into lockdown.
Prison director Obe Veldman estimates that about 30 percent of the inmates have been vaccinated. Official figures are not known about this, because only inmates who have received a vaccination in prison are registered. Staff is not obliged to vaccinate.
–
