66 inmates, 48 staffers of three Delhi jails test positive for Covid

Sixty-six inmates and 48 staffers of three jails in Delhi have tested positive for COVID-19, officials said on Tuesday. “None of those infected is serious. We are taking all precautions related to COVID-19,” Director General (Delhi Prisons) Sandeep Goel said. According to data shared by the jail authorities, 66 inmates — 42 in Tihar and 24 in Mandoli jail — had tested positive for COVID-19 till Monday. Among the 48 infected staffers, 34 are from Tihar, six from Rohini jail and eight from Mandoli jail.

As part of the steps taken to contain the spread of the viral disease in Tihar, Mandoli and Rohini jail complexes, prison dispensaries have been turned into Covid Care Centres. An oxygen plant in Tihar will be functional soon, the officials said. Many medical isolation cells have been set up for inmates showing mild symptoms of COVID-19, they said. Those who test positive but are asymptomatic will be kept in separate isolation cells within the same jail.

The 120-bed hospital in Tihar and the 48-bed facility in Mandoli have been converted into Covid health centres. The jail administration said four committees have been formed to look after the infected inmates and staffers.

Social distancing among staff members and inmates is followed to the extent possible. Inmates are mostly restricted to their wards and awareness programmes about following Covid norms are conducted regularly, the officials said. As of January 7, a total of 18,528 prisoners were lodged in the three jails of Delhi Prisons. Tihar has the maximum number of inmates at 12,669, Mandoli 4,018 and Rohini 1,841.