UP: 22 inmates of Bulandshahr correction home test Covid positive

Three days after its acting superintendent died of Covid-19, 22 inmates of Bulandshahr’s correction home tested positive for coronavirus. All inmates are facing criminal charges and are aged below 18 years. A homeguard posted at the correction home also tested positive.

On Saturday, the district administration got all 22 inmates and the homeguard admitted to hospital for treatment. Their condition was stable, doctors said.

“Inmates and homeguard of correction home were found positive during RT-PCR test. They all are asymptomatic. The correction home has been sanitised and all covid protocols are being followed,” said acting district probation officer (Bulandshahr) Vineet Tiwari.

He added that it could not be ascertained how they got effected with virus.

Against the capacity of 50, the strength of the inmates at correction home is 75. In the first week of May, test was conducted and no-one including inmates and staff of correction home was found positive. “All precautions are being taken for inmates staying in correction home,” said Tiwari.

Tiwari, who is district backward welfare officer, has been given charge of district probation officer.

Tiwari was given additional charge after district probation officer Nagendra Pal tested positive for Covid-19.

Last week, antigen test was conducted inside correction home and except for two inmates, others were found negative. It was then decided by district administration to get RT-PCR test done on all inmates and staff of correction home.

On Thursday, a team of health department visited correction home and collected samples for test. There are eight persons posted at the correction home.

Caretaker and acting superintendent of correction home Rajendra Kumar Yadav died three days back due to covid.

“I have come to know… Rajendra Kumar tested positive for Covid in Jaunpur and he died during treatment three days ago,” said Tiwari.