Covid hot spot! 34 inmates at Karimganj District Jail tests Covid-19 positive

May 8: In a serious turn of events, Karimganj Central Jail seems to have a hot spot of coronavirus. Till now, a total of 103 jail inmates were tested, out of which, 34 were detected as Covid-19 positive. 28 jail inmates of District Jail have been infected with COVID-19 on Friday and six earlier, taking the total number of positive cases to 34. The district has altogether 470 active COVID-19 cases.

At present, there are 290 inmates in the Karimganj Central Jail. Initiative has been taken to get all of them tested. Two separate rooms were earmarked inside the jail premises, out of which, one room is for quartantined cases while the other is Covid Care Centre. The new inmates who will arrive in the jail will be sent for 14 days mandatory quarantine, whereas the positive inmates will be sent to the Covid Care Centre made inside the jail.

• Sanjib Kumar Chetia, Jail Superintendent informed that he has also made arrangement for transfer of any serious inmates at Silchar Medical College & Hospital (SMCH). Adequate security arrangements will also be made for those patients, who would be admitted at SMCH. The Jail Superintendent said that on 29 April, 2 accused were brought to the jail from Nilambazar Police Station. He is apprehensive that Covid-19 spread in the jail from these two accused. Though before putting them inside the jail, their test report was negative, but just two days later, they started to exhibit symptoms of fever and cold. Later they were tested and found to be positive.

The Jail Super said that others who came in touch with these two inmates were later on found to be positive. Further, four days ago, a female Jail staff was also detected as Covid-19 positive.