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A varicella virus (chickenpox) outbreak continues at the Maximum Security Prison, Arouca, with five more inmates suspected of having the condition being placed into quarantine, while another prison officer was diagnosed with the infection as the service rolls out a vaccination drive.

Responding to questions from Newsday on January 15 via WhatsApp, Commissioner of Prisons Carlos Corraspe said the first case diagnosed on November 11 was an inmate who had just transferred into the facility.

"Since then, we have 43 inmates who have been treated and returned to general population, and 40 are in containment now. So that's with overlap, it's around 80 inmates over the 65 days of managing," Corraspe said.