The Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Guaynabo, known as “the federal prison”, has identified 12 positive COVID-19 cases that caused enormous concerns regarding the particular vulnerability of inmates amid in this pandemic.

Most of the cases came from a group of 54 inmates transferred from the United States to Puerto Rico by mid-July, without any authority here having requested that transfer, being consulted, or knowing about it, according to federal judge Gustavo Gelpí, who demanded to stop the transfer of inmates to the island.

Washington Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González asked U.S. General Attorney William Barr to order a halt to the transfers of inmates.

We call on the U.S. and MDC authorities to urgently take the necessary measures to prevent the further spread of COVID-19 within that facility. This would not only put inmates at risk, who have the right to the same treatment and health care as everyone else, but also the correctional and civilian personnel working there and who interact with the free community in Puerto Rico.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, there are currently 1,065 inmates at the MDC in Guaynabo. Then, the 12 infected represent less than 1 percent of the inmates, which means that this is not an out of control situation so far. However, it is no secret that COVID-19 is a highly contagious disease that can multiply exponentially in a matter of days if not properly addressed.

The call, we insist, could not be stronger: this situation must be addressed before it gets out of control.

In Puerto Rico’s state prisons, where some 8,800 inmates live, only one adult and two minors have been reported to be infected. According to information provided by the Department of Correction and Rehabilitation (DCR), all three have already recovered. When the pandemic emerged, the DCR established a strict protocol that has allowed it, according to the information available, to prevent COVID-19 from becoming a major problem.

That protocol establishes that admissions to the correctional system will only come through “Institución 705”, which is located in Bayamón. All new admissions are subject to a molecular test and are placed in quarantine for 14 days after arrival, as recommended by the scientific community. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the DCR has conducted 595 molecular tests. Fifteen agency employees have tested positive, eight have already recovered.

Prisons are naturally crowded centers and therefore, high-risk places for COVID-19. For years, authorities have fought hard battles against other infectious diseases such as hepatitis. In the case of COVID-19, prison authorities both in Puerto Rico and the United States cannot afford to spare any effort to prevent the situation from getting out of control.

This is not a situation that should be taken lightly. In the 110 U.S. federal prisons, nearly 7,000 inmates have been infected with the new virus, of which 94 have died, according to research by the nonprofit organization The Marshall Project. So far, Puerto Rico has been able to avoid a COVID-19 crisis in the island´s prisons. It is up to the authorities in Puerto Rico and the United States to do everything possible to keep it that way.