COVID-19: Mexico City's prison to reduce visits by 50% amidst coronavirus crisis

Starting on March 26 , Mexico City's prisons will reduce visits by 50% to protect the population and visitors due to the COVID-19 contingency .

The deputy minister of the Penitentiary System Hazael Ruíz Ortega informed that as part of the measures that have been implemented to protect inmates and their families, as well as the personnel of the prison, visits will now be made in stages .

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He stressed that inmates and their visitors have been properly informed about this new disposition and thus half of the inmates will receive visits on Thursday and Sunday and the rest on Tuesday and Saturday , which will allow reducing by 50% the number of those who enter these spaces.

In addition, he said that pregnant women and minors have been asked not to attend visits during the contingency, as happened with elderly people , so as to protect them and implement physical distancing in common spaces.

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Ruíz Ortega said that there are sanitary filters in the entrances of the 13 penitentiary centers as well those for Specialized Attention for Adolescents and at the Administrative Sanctions and Social Reintegration “El Torito,” where personnel are evaluating the temperature of visitors and giving them sanitizing gel, while also performing daily cleaning and sanitizing programs.

The measure will also help control the measles outbreak registered inside one of Mexico City's prison (Reclusorio Norte) as it has several confirmed cases among its inmates.

Health authorities have performed an inspection at the penitentiary facility where they also applied 3,000 vaccinations among inmates, custodians, staff, and relatives.

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