Three inmates newly admitted to Changi Prison Complex and a staff nurse working there have tested positive for Covid-19 as of Friday, May 29.

The four patients are unlinked to one another, the Singapore Prison Service (SPS) said in a statement on Saturday.

In a separate statement, SPS revealed that all three inmates were admitted to prisons on different days.

The first inmate tested positive on April 21, the second inmate on April 22, and the third inmate on May 9.

The healthcare worker tested positive for Covid-19 on April 24.

Following these cases detected in late April and early May, there have been no new cases of Covid-19 in prisons.

There are also no cases of further infection arising from these cases.

The three inmates were still undergoing cohort segregation when they tested positive for the virus following a swab test.

They are housed in a separate prison facility, as they were immediately isolated from the rest of the newly admitted inmates.

Two of the inmates have since been discharged from the facility.

The other remains clinically well.

The staff nurse, from SPS' medical service provider, has recovered and he has returned to work.

Measures in place

SPS said precautionary measures for both inmates and staff have been implemented.

All newly admitted inmates at Changi Prison are segregated from the general inmate population for 14 days.

The new inmates will also have to undergo swab tests upon admission and at the end of the segregation period.

Easing of restrictions

As the circuit breaker will be lifted from June 2, precautionary measures will be retained and a cautious and calibrated approach in easing restrictions will be taken, SPS said.

Family visits and face-to-face programmes for inmates will only be resumed in a gradual and phased manner.

Academic classes, which are part of the core rehabilitation programmes, may gradually resume with safe distancing measures in place.

Visits cut

All family visits and face-to-face programmes for inmates have also been suspended during the circuit breaker period.

Families are allowed to remain in contact with inmates via phone calls and letters.

As a result, the number of electronic letters exchanged between inmates and their families in April increased by about 40 per cent.

This rise occurred in comparison to March, before the circuit breaker.

Top photo via Ministry of Home Affairs