274 inmates recovered from COVID-19 in Karachi Central Jail

KARACHI: A large number of prisoners infected with coronavirus has recovered at Karachi Central Jail, ARY News reported on Sunday.

Senior superintendent of the Karachi Central Jail, Hassan Sahito, confirmed that 894 prisoners and 11 staffers of the Karachi Central Jail were infected with the coronavirus. He added that 274 inmates have recovered from the virus so far.

The police officer detailed that 120 prisoners were declared critical out of which 90 inmates recovered their health. “We are conducting more tests of other prisoners while many inmates managed to defeat COVID-19 due to best arrangements made by the jail administration.”

Read: 94 inmates test positive for COVID-19 in Punjab jails

After their health recovery from the virus, the prisoners have reportedly celebrated at the central prison.

It is noteworthy to mention here that more than 200 prisoners and nine officials had been detected with COVID-19 on May 19 which led the Sindh Prisons’ department to issue directives for the special arrangements for the protection of all prisoners. Following the orders, the jail superintendent had made arrangements for coronavirus detection tests and social distancing measures.

The Sindh government had also decided in March to release the prisoners charged with minor offences for four months. Chief Minister Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had approved a summary prepared by the Home Department, granting permission to release the prisoners convicted in NAB, drug and other petty crimes for four months.

Read: Coronavirus: SHC directs to conduct screening on inmates, prison staff across Sindh

Earlier in the day, overall 2,287 fresh cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the Sindh province during the past 24 hours after 11,197 tests were performed during the period.

“As many as 53,805 cases of the COVID-19 have been reported in the province so far after the provincial health authorities performed 298,332 tests,” confirmed the Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Sunday.

“We have 27,368 active patients of the virus in the province as nearly half of them, that is 25,606 have so far recovered from it,” Murad Ali Shah said adding that 1219 patients have recovered from COVID-19 during past 24-hours. He said that Karachi, which remains most affected from the pandemic, has reported 1499 cases today.