Vaccination for all inmates was due to be completed on Friday, but Serge Legil, director of the prison administration, said the procedure concluded early. Just 180 of the 520 prisoners accepted the first dose of the vaccine.
Legil said this was a concerning development, as the prisoners are considered to be a particularly vulnerable group.
The inmates are alleged to have refused the vaccine because the prison's wardens and officers were not vaccinated, arguing that they did not trust they would not receive an "experimental vaccine". Around 20 inmates spontaneously refused the particular vaccine offered to them.
The detention centre at Givenich was somewhat less sceptical, with 37 of the 60 inmates agreeing to be vaccinated.
On Thursday, four further inmates tested positive for the virus at Schrassig prison, bringing the total number of cases to six. The origin of the infections is still unknown, according to Legil - but it is certain it originated within the structure itself, as the prisoners have been serving time there since February. The lack of direct contact between the infected cases further complicates tracing matters.
Legil explained that prisoners are allowed out of the cells on a daily basis, but made to wear masks when there is potential contact with others. It is therefore uncertain whether the virus was introduced by a staff member or a visitor.
The prison population has since been tested for the virus, while a floor has been placed in quarantine for all new arrivals. Its occupancy capacity of 16 people has since been reached. Legil said new arrivals from this weekend would be placed in emergency cells for their week-long quarantine period, but stressed that this would not affect the prison's function.
Two people had already tested positive in the middle of last month. The long incubation period of up to ten days could have led one inmate to bring the virus into prison, thus infecting the second person.
