Nearly 400 inmates at Panamanian prison infected with COVID

PANAMA CITY (AP) — Nearly 400 inmates at a Panamanian prison have been infected with the new coronavirus in the country’s largest prison outbreak of the pandemic, authorities said Tuesday.

Those infected represent about 75% of those held at the Penonome prison in the central province of Cocle.

The outbreak came amid a rise in infections in Panama that has raised concern that a new wave of cases could be coming nearly a month after many social distancing restrictions were lifted.

The prison system issued a statement saying that so far there were no deaths among the 390 infected inmates at Penonome. Those who tested positive were given a kit including masks, oxygen meters and pain killers among other treatments.

No guards had reportedly tested positive.

There have been COVID-19 infections in other Panamanian prisons and six inmates who died, but this would be the largest.