Vax, checking drive for prisoners ramped up to curb Covid-19 spread in jails

The UP prisons administration and reform services department has again ramped up testing of prisoners showing symptoms

 The UP prisons administration and reform services department has again ramped up testing of prisoners showing symptoms. Besides, vaccination of inmates above 45 years of age lodged in the 73 jails across the state, has also been speeded up, senior prison officials said.

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Director general, prisons, Anand Kumar, said that the prison administration is carrying out a special drive to vaccinate as many 23,432 prisoners above 45 years. He said at least 16,144 prisoners above 45 years of age had been vaccinated till Tuesday, while the process for others is still on.

“Besides, strict directives have been issued for proper scanning of inmates before allowing them inside the prison and keeping them in isolated barracks for a certain period to ensure that he is free from coronavirus,” Kumar said.

He said the directions have been issued to jail superintendents and jailors to maintain proper cleanliness and social distancing inside prisons to curb the contagion among prisoners as it was done earlier during the first wave in 2020.

The DG said the production of sanitiser, masks and PPE kits have also been reordered so that the prisoners do not have shortage of these things. He said the prisoners earlier prepared hand sanitisers in 16 prisons for self-use and excess was supplied to other departments. He said the prisoners had even prepared PPE kits, full face shield masks especially for doctors and health workers and full bodysuits for sanitation workers.

A senior jail official said the jail authorities are again thinking of setting up temporary jails to keep new prisoners in 14-day isolation before allowing him inside the jail premises. He said this has been considered in the wake of the second wave of Covid-19 spread which seems to be more contagious than the first.