China has not seen any further spread of the novel coronavirus in its prison system apart from the confirmed cases in five prisons in Hubei, Zhejiang and Shandong provinces, a senior official with the Ministry of Justice said Wednesday.
As of Tuesday, those five prisons had reported 555 confirmed cases, including four in critical conditions, Xiong Xuanguo, vice minister of justice, told a press conference in Beijing.
A total of 11 patients have recovered from the infection, and one has come out of severe conditions, Xiong said.
Another 19 suspected cases had been reported, Xiong said, adding that no inmates have died of the virus.
Prisons across the country have been ordered to strictly manage the premises given the complexity and severity of epidemic control, Xiong said, pledging to plug all loopholes in prison administration and stem the spread of the virus within the prisons.
Vowing all-out efforts to treat inmate patients, Xiong stressed that they will receive same medical treatment as those in the society in a timely manner.
