NEW DELHI /JAIPUR: Prisons in various parts of the country are also turning into corona hotspots. At least 15 inmates and one staff in Delhi’s Rohini jail were reported positive on Saturday while in Jaipur district jail, 116 prisoners and prison superintendent were found infected. In the Rohini jail, a 28-year old inmate was found positive three days ago after which 19 inmates who shared barracks with him and five jail officials were tested for the contagion.
“We had conducted COVID testing for 19 inmates of Rohini jail who were sharing barrack with one inmate who was tested positive in DDU hospital earlier where he had gone for some other ailment. Their test results have come and 15 out of these 19 inmates have tested positive. Five staff members were also put to test. Out of these, one head warder has tested positive.
Rest are negative,” said Sandeep Goel, Director General, Prisons. All of them, including those tested positive, are asymptomatic. The inmates have been kept in isolation barrack while the head warder and other jail staff have been sent for home quarantine. The 28-year-old inmate, an undertrial accused of attempt to murder and robbery, was the first case reported from among three Delhi jails — Tihar, Rohini and Mandoli. In Rajasthan, the health department report said 116 new cases had been reported in Jaipur District Jail. Nine prisoners had tested positive earlier.