Indonesia: Emerging prison virus clusters spur calls for change

Prison officials spray disinfectant to inmates in Tanjung Gusta penitentiary in Medan, North Sumatra on March 23. The measure was taken to prevent spread of Covid-19 in the crammed, overcrowded prison. - Jakarta POst/ANN

JAKARTA, June 6 (Jakarta Post/ANN): As the government scrambles to contain a post-Aidil Fitri surge in Covid-19 cases, new prison clusters continue to emerge, putting Indonesia’s overcrowded correctional facilities under scrutiny once again.

Among them is Rajabasa Penitentiary in Lampung, which discovered 152 positive Covid-19 cases among its inmates last week, making it one of the latest prison clusters to contribute to the province's case surge, authorities said.