CAPE TOWN - The Department of Correctional Services (DCS) is reinstating prison visits at all Correctional Centres with immediate effect following the termination of the National State of Disaster.
President Cyril Ramaphosa lifted the National State of Disaster on Monday last week, more than two years after it was first declared in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Department spokesperson Sechaba Mphahlele said DCS reviewed its Covid-19 risk adjusted strategy following the announcement and it will permit visits for inmates.
Prison visits were limited to two visitors per inmate per month and with only one visitor at a time under lockdown Alert level 1.
Mphahlele said the DCS currently has a total of nine Covid-19 active cases - seven inmates and two officials - and cumulative cases stand at 21 825, with 12 043 officials and 9 782 inmates infected.
"The cumulative recoveries to date stand at 21 459, 11 798 for officials and 9 661 for inmates, translating to a recovery rate of 98.32%."
The total number of fatalities in DCS remains 357, with 242 officials and 115 inmates deceased.
"A total of 23 220 (58.26%) officials and 111 972 (87.86%) inmates have been vaccinated,” Mphahlele said.
Cape Times