Around 150 Amritsar jail inmates test +ve

PK Jaiswar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 22

The fear of jails becoming a hotspot again looms large in view of rapid surge in the novel coronavirus after around 150 inmates in Amritsar Central Jail tested positive in the last two days.

Out of these, over 100 women inmates were found infected with the virus and they were immediately shifted to Malerkotla jail. The remaining patients, who are male, were quarantined on the jail premises here.

The jail authorities have blamed resumption of court hearings as the reason behind these cases. Nevertheless, they said the situation was under control, as massive testing of prisoners was conducted on Thursday.

Recently, the court resumed its functioning after the lockdown induced by the Covid pandemic. However, the court again stopped court hearings after many staff members and a couple of judicial officers contracted the virus.