Despite these quarantine measures, problems still arise. A 61‐year‐old febrile PDL reported that he was transferred to a cell designed for two, but actually housed 11 people; still, his reaction was one of relief: "It's better than sleeping on the stairs, piled up on top of one another."110 Ibid.
While face masks are being provided to all PDLs, prisoners often do not wear them due to the scorching summer temperatures.111 Ibid.
Most recently, to address the problem of severely congested prisons, the Supreme Court of the Philippines ordered the release of around 10,000 prisoners.112 McCarthy, J. (2020, May 5). As COVID‐19 Fears Grow, 10,000 Prisoners Are Freed from Overcrowded Philippine Jails. npr.org. Retrieved May 18, 2020, from https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus‐live‐updates/2020/05/05/850513762/as‐covid‐19‐fears‐grow‐10‐000‐prisoners‐are‐freed‐from‐overcrowded‐philippine‐ja