Covid-19: 40 test positive in Mumbai’s Arthur Road jail | Mumbai news - Hindustan Times
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Covid-19: 40 test positive in Mumbai’s Arthur Road jail

Hindustan Times, Mumbai | ByManish K Pathak
May 07, 2020 01:38 PM IST

After the inmate tested positive, JJ Hospital authorities took swab samples of 150 people from the prison, also known as Arthur Road prison .

At least 40 people, including undertrial prisoners and jail officials, tested positive for the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the Mumbai Central Prison on Thursday, according to a senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer who did not want to be named.

The Arthur Road jail, which has a capacity of 800, is housing about 2,700 prisoners.(HT file photo)
The Arthur Road jail, which has a capacity of 800, is housing about 2,700 prisoners.(HT file photo)

The fresh infections were reported a day after a 45-year-old inmate, facing charges under the narcotics act, tested positive for the disease. The Arthur Road jail, which has a capacity of 800, is housing about 2,700 prisoners.

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After the inmate tested positive, JJ Hospital authorities took swab samples of 150 people from the prison, also known as Arthur Road prison . “More swabs are being currently taken from Arthur Road prison,” said the IPS officer, requesting anonymity.

The 45-year-old inmate suffered a paralytic attack on May 2 and was taken to JJ Hospital. He had intermittent high fever since April 30. The patient was admitted on May 2. A swab test was done and his samples tested positive.

On Tuesday, two jail staff, who were staying at a guest house near Byculla jail, tested positive.

Jail authorities are yet to find out how the Sars-CoV-2 virus — which causes Covid-19 — entered the jail premises despite no new prisoners coming in since the first week of April.

“The possibility of Covid-19 having entered the prison through BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) cleaning staff, sanitisation workers, or through essential services that used to come to jail cannot be ruled out,” said the officer.

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