Virus spreading rapidly in Sindh’s overcrowded jails
Within weeks number of active cases has risen from 31 to 295
PHOTO: AFP
KARACHI:
As the second wave of the pandemic wreaks havoc across the country, prisons are no exception. Despite stringent measures adopted by the jail administrations, the number of infections in Sindh s overcrowded jails have multiplied within weeks. Beginning December, there were only 31 active cases in the provincial jails but by Sunday the number of infections had soared to 295.
Over 1,800 prisoners are packed in Sindh s jails, which have a total capacity of around 1,300. In Karachi Central Jail alone there are some 4,500 prisoners and over 5,000 are incarcerated in Malir district jail. The former has a total capacity of 2,400 prisoners, while the latter was meant to house 1,800 prisoners.
Covid spreads in Sindh’s jails
Prisons limit inmates family visits to once in 10 days as cases quadruple
As the pandemic surges across the country, the number of active coronavirus cases in Sindh s prisons has risen from 31 to 112 in a span of 10 days. Given the rise in cases, jail administrations in the province have decided to restrict family visits for inmates to once in 10 days.
Earlier, prisoners were allowed to meet their families twice a week.
The new round of Covid-19 screening among inmates was initiated on the directives of Sindh Prisons IG Qazi Nazeer Ahmed. Despite strict implementation of standard operating procedures (SOPs) to curb the spread of the virus, several more positive cases were detected across the provincial jails.