11 inmates, 3 staff members at Sabarmati jail test positive

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Ahmedabad, May 6 () Eleven inmates and three jailstaff members at the Sabarmati Central Jail in Ahmedabad havetested positive for coronavirus in the last one week, anofficial said on Wednesday.

However, none of the 11 prisoners, who include bothconvicts and undertrials, came in contact with other around2,500 inmates as they had been already isolated, said DeputySuperintendent of Police, Sabarmati jail, D V Rana.

Three staff members -- two havaldars and one jailsahayak (constable) -- were the latest to test positive forvirus, he said.

"We deploy jail staff to frisk incoming prisoners whoare kept in isolation area away from the main campus for 14days. After the test reports of some of these newly-arrivedinmates came positive around a week ago, we sent 12 of thesejail staffers, who had come in contact with these inmates, tocivil hospital for tests on May 4.

"Reports of three staffers came positive on Tuesday,"said Rana.

Last week, two inmates tested positive forcoronavirus. Both were already lodged in the prison'sisolation ward upon arrival.

One of them was a murder convict who returned afterhis parole was over, while the other was a rape accused.

Later, four men, sent to the jail following arrest ina case, also tested positive and sent to civil hospital fortreatment, said Rana.

"In the last few days, five convicts, who returned tothe jail after completing their parole, also tested positive.In total, 11 prisoners tested positive so far. Luckily, noneof them came into contact with others as they were not letinside as per our policy," said Rana. PJT PDKRKKRK KRK