This is an archive article published on August 17, 2020
Covid cases in Maharashtra prisons cross 1,000, 25 jails affected
Following directions from the Bombay High Court, random testing of inmates and staff is also being undertaken, along with mandatory testing of high-risk contacts of inmates and staff who have tested positive.
Dr Singh said that the dead included a 70-year-old woman from Lalru. She was admitted to GMCH, Patiala. (Representational)
The number of Covid-19 cases among inmates from prisons across Maharashtra has crossed 1,000, and over 200 are active cases.
Following directions from the Bombay High Court, random testing of inmates and staff is also being undertaken, along with mandatory testing of high-risk contacts of inmates and staff who have tested positive. Since the last few days, the prison administration has been conducting Covid-19 tests of every new inmate who is being admitted to the temporary prisons set up as an alternate arrangement to the main premises of state jails.
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Till now, among nearly 26,400 inmates, 6,300 have been tested by either the swab method or rapid antigen method. Close to 1,600 staff members have also been tested.
The number of Covid positive inmates across state prisons was 1,031 as on Sunday night. These cases have been reported from 25 of the total 47 central and district prisons in the state, as well as from temporary prisons. Of the total 1,031 cases, 816 have recovered till now and 209 remain active cases. Six inmates have succumbed to the infection.
Over 100 cases have till now been reported in Mumbai Central, Nagpur Central and Sangli District Prisons. Between 50 and 99 cases have been reported from Yerawada Central, Solapur District and Akola District Prisons.
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The proposed number of inmates to be released as part of the prison decongestion efforts due to the pandemic is 17,000, which is half the pre-lockdown population of inmates in prisons across the state. Till June 1, the number of inmates released was 9,600. However, since the first week of June, the process of release of inmates has slowed down drastically. Till now, a total of 10,500 inmates have been released.
Dr Singh said that the dead included a 70-year-old woman from Lalru. She was admitted to GMCH, Patiala. (Representational) 
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