Seven inmates are receiving treatment for TB at the penitentiary center, while five others are undergoing treatment under 24-hour police guard.

After the first TB cases were detected in August this year, all established public health protocols were swiftly enacted and infected inmates were immediately placed in isolation, the Jamaica Observer online newspaper reported.

Among other measures, infected inmates are kept entirely separate from the general detainee population, and there have been no transfers into and out of the Hunts Bay lock-up to prevent the spread of the illness.

Inmates who must appear in court will do so through secure online digital platforms to further limit the risk of exposure.

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