Bhubaneswar: Jharpada Special Jail authorities informed Friday that a total of 96 inmates have tested positive for Covid-19. The infected prisoners have been shifted to the Covid Care Centre, set up within the jail premises. As of now, the entire jail premises has been sanitised, it was learnt.
Following the death of an undertrial prisoner due to Covid-19 May 15, the jail authorities had requested the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) to conduct Covid-19 tests of all the inmates and staff. Then 11 prison staff had tested positive for Covid-19.
Later, samples of 195 inmates and staff of the prison were collected and sent for tests. Reports of 96 inmates came out to be positive for Covid-19. According to a source, a special team of doctors has been monitoring the health conditions of the isolated prisoners. If required, they will be shifted to Covid hospitals.
In the next phase, testing of the remaining 700 undertrial prisoners lodged in the jail will be carried out.
PNN