99 Inmates, 88 Staff In Delhi's Jails Have Tested Positive For Covid: Officials

A total of 99 inmates and 88 staff members in the jails of Delhi have tested positive for COVID-19, officials said on Sunday.

According to data shared by the jail authorities, 99 inmates had tested positive for the viral disease till January 14. Seventeen of them have recuperated while there are 82 active cases.

Of the 88 prisons staff who have tested positive for Covid, 14 have recuperated while there are 74 active cases.

The Delhi Prisons department includes three major jail complexes -- Tihar, Rohini and Mandoli.

"There are no serious cases so far. Most of the cases are being managed by our jail doctors," Director General (Delhi Prisons) Sandeep Goel said.

As part of the steps taken to curb the spread of the disease in the Tihar, Mandoli and Rohini jail complexes, the prison dispensaries have been turned into Covid care centres. An oxygen plant will also be made functional in Tihar soon, officials had said earlier.

Numerous medical isolation cells were set up for the inmates showing mild symptoms of Covid, they had said.

Those who test positive for the disease but are asymptomatic will be kept in these separate isolation cells.

A 120-bed hospital in Tihar and a 48-bed facility in Mandoli have been converted into Covid care centres.

The jail administration said four committees have been formed to look after the infected inmates and staffers.

Social distancing among the staff members and the inmates is being maintained to the extent possible. The inmates are mostly restricted to their wards and awareness programmes on following Covid norms are being conducted regularly, the officials said.