Preparedness, prevention and control of COVID-19 in prisons and other places of detention: interim guidance, 8 February 2021 (produced by WHO/Europe)

Updated guidance on how to deal with COVID-19 in prisons

The WHO Health in Prisons Programme has updated the interim “Guidance on Preparedness, prevention and control of COVID-19 in prisons and other places of detention”, first issued in March 2020. The changes include updated information on case definitions, COVID-19 signs and symptoms, transmission scenarios, prevention and control measures (including use of masks, testing and quarantining), and management strategies (including implementation of medical isolation and modified strategies for the prison context). Additional issues covered include vaccine availability and allocation procedures and indicators advised for surveillance purposes in detention settings.

The guidance provides useful information to staff working in prisons, as well as to health and prison authorities, explaining how to prevent and address a potential outbreak of COVID-19. In addition, it aims to protect the health and well-being of all those who live and work in, and visit, these settings and the general population at large. People deprived of their liberty, and living or working in enclosed environments in close proximity, are likely to be more vulnerable to the COVID-19 disease than the general population. Moreover, correctional facilities may amplify and enhance COVID-19 transmission beyond their walls.