21 inmates of Udala jail test positive  

BARIPADA/BALANGIR: Around 21 inmates of Udala sub-jail were found Covid positive on Monday, triggering panic among the jail authorities. All of them have been kept in isolation on the jail premises which were thoroughly sanitised. 

Executive Officer of the Udala NAC Bidyadhar Dandapat informed that during a regular health check-up of the inmates on Saturday, the medical team found Covid-19 symptoms in a few of them. Authorities of the Udala Sub Divisional Hospital were informed and a rapid response team was sent to conduct an antigen test on over 76 inmates. Reports of 21 of the inmates came out positive on the day.

Medicines have been provided to the infected inmates and if required, they will be shifted to the nearest Covid Care Centre. Suspecting that more inmates may be infected, the local NAC authorities are keeping a close watch on the situation. The jail currently has 112 inmates. While the source of infection is unclear,  authorities suspect that it might have spread from either any staff or inmates who were brought to the jail recently. The district in the last 24 hours reported 207 fresh cases.

In Patnagarh sub-jail, on the other hand, one inmate died of Covid-19 and nine others were found infected on Saturday. While the infected inmates have been shifted to Balangir Covid facility, 29 inmates who tested negative were sent to Kantabanji jail on Monday as a precautionary measure. Patnagarh jail houses 117 inmates.