A high-power committee (HPC), set up to look into decongesting jails pursuant to the COVID-19 outbreak, has directed prison authorities here to take extra precautions with regard to inmates over 55 years of age after a 62-year-old prisoner, who died in his sleep, was later found to be COVID-19 positive.
The HPC, headed by Justice Hima Kohli, directed the Director General (Prisons) to get the COVID-19 test of 28 inmates, who were sharing the same barrack with the 62-year-old, conducted and as per medical need and advice, to be separately quarantined.
The HPC further directed that in case any suspected case comes to the notice of jail administration, the contact tracing of all other inmates and jail staff be done and if necessary, COVID-19 test of all such persons be conducted.
D.G. (Prisons) also informed the HPC that till June 20, 20 jail inmates, besides 36 prison staff were found COVID-19-positive.
D.G. (Prisons) Sandeep Goel said out of 20 jail inmates, 16 have recovered after they were separately quarantined on jail premises. He further said that three inmates required hospitalisation and two of them were admitted at Lok Nayak Hospital and one in AIIMS, where they are recuperating.
The 36 jail staff who tested positive have been relieved from their respective duties and were asked to remain home-quarantined. All of them were ‘asymptomatic’, Mr. Goel said.
The D.G. (Prisons) also stated that Jail No.15 in Mandoli, having 248 individuals cells (with attached toilets) and are being used as “isolation facility”.
Isolation
The HPC said that new entrants in jail be kept in isolation wards or cells so as to prevent their intermingling with other inmates who are already inside the jail.
Till June 20, a total of 4,129 inmates have been released to decongest prisons in view of the pandemic. This includes 2,961 undertrial prisoners, 1,108 convicts released on emergency parole and 60 convicts released on remission of sentence.