Thiruvananthapuram: 239 of the 1,000 central prison inmates in Poojapura have been tested positive for Covid.
However, the prison authority assured that there was no need for panic and the necessary steps had been taken to contain the spread of the virus in the prison wall.
Inspector Inspector Nirmalanandan Nairdan said that positive Covid cases among prisoners were detected in tests conducted by district health staff from Wednesday to Friday.
The positive test prisoners have been isolated immediately.
None of them have severe symptoms.
In fact, most of them asymptomatic while some have small symptoms.
“We contacted DMO and asked to test between prisoners after the number of cases in the district rose very high,” said the supervisor.
Four of 12 prison blocks in middle prisons were converted into insulation blocks to keep those who tested positively.
DMO has also provided a service of two male nurses for central prisons to attend covid positive prisoners.
This was after the supervisor was asked for the medical team for prison.
“The prison medical team consists of two doctors, which we think is not enough to attend 239 positive tested prisoners.
Because it is not practical to provide a medical team, DMO gave us two nurses,” added the supervisor.