Suspected Covid-19 cases in Rio jail

The Intercept Brasil reported that a Rio de Janeiro jail has recorded at least four suspected coronavirus infections among its inmates. Governor Wilson Witzel said the patients must be put in isolation, but inside the same facility—which is known to be the most overcrowded in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

However, the inmates ended up being returned to their cells, as there was nowhere else to place them.

Earlier today, reporter Brenno Grillo wrote about the justice system’s efforts to avoid the coronavirus from reaching Brazil’s penitentiary system—which is plagued by overcrowding and terrible sanitary conditions. “The prospect of letting the novel coronavirus enter prisons is a doomsday scenario,” he wrote.

The Supreme Court ruled that Covid-19 does not justify releasing prisoners. According to the Court Justices, if all Brazilians are isolated in their homes because of the virus, it makes no sense to release prisoners to avoid a pandemic in the prison system.

• Go deeper: Brazil moves to prevent Covid-19 from entering prisons

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