Singapore — Nine out of 10 inmates of Changi Prison have been fully vaccinated and 97 per cent have received at least one jab, the Singapore Prison Service (SPS) said when it revealed that “several” inmates and staff have tested positive for Covid-19.
Despite these high vaccination numbers, SPS said on Tuesday night (Nov 9) that it is likely more will be found to be infected.
On the same day, convicted Malaysian drug trafficker Nagaenthran Dharmalingam received a stay of execution after he was found to be infected.
Nagaenthran had been scheduled to hang on Wednesday (Nov 10). His case has received much attention both locally and internationally, with appeals to pardon him because he is said to be mentally challenged.
The SPS said on Tuesday that Nagaenthran had been given both an antigen rapid test (ART) and a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test on the previous day.
The ART came back negative, and Nagaenthran was thentaken to court for a hearing. But the PCR test then came back positive SPS informed the court and the inmate was placed in isolation.
The SPS said that he is asymptomatic, showed no sign of illness before the hearing, and had chosen not to be vaccinated.
“In view of the situation, the Court of Appeal granted a stay of the judicial execution with immediate effect until all pending proceedings are concluded. Nagaenthran will receive medical attention and proceedings will resume on a date to be fixed, after Nagaenthran has recovered,” SPS added.
The statement also said that several inmates and staff from Institution A1, where Nagaenthran is housed, had tested positive for the affection. Housing units in Institution A1 where there are Covid patients have been locked down.
“Nagaenthran had only transient contact with two staff who had tested positive,” according to SPS.
Due to the number of community cases of Covid-19 at present, “more cases of infection are likely to arise in the prisons as well” but “SPS has taken steps to ensure that the situation remains under control,” it added.
Nagaenthran was arrested for drug trafficking over a decade ago at the age of 21 and was sentenced to death for importing 42.72g of heroin into Singapore.
When evaluated after his arrest, he was found to have an IQ of 69 and borderline intellectual functioning.
He said at his trial that he had been coerced into committing the offence by a man who had assaulted him and threatened to kill his girlfriend.
Activists on both sides of the Causeway have pleaded for a stay of his execution based on extraordinary circumstances, and a petition on the change.org platform appealing for him to be spared has drawn more than 80,000 signatories. /TISG