SUKKUR/HYDERABAD - Over 146 inmates and jail staffers on Sunday have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Sukkur Central Jail. According to Sukkur Central Jail authorities, a total of 1600 tests were conducted, of which 146 tested positive for COVID-19.

93 people, out of 146 positive have recovered from the disease, said authorities. Those who recovered from novel coronavirus include 85 prisoners and eight jail staffers.

27 COVID-19 positive prisoners and 26 jail staffers have been isolated and kept in quarantine, added the authorities. Last month, over 200 inmates and nine warders had tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Karachi Central Jail.

Inspector-General of Police (prisons) Nusrat Mangan has confirmed that over 200 prisoners and nine jail officials, including DSP Jan Muhammad, were diagnosed with COVID-19 at the Karachi jail. He maintained that the COVID-19 positive prisoners have been isolated and kept in quarantine. The police officer said that there were over 3,500 prisoners at the Karachi Central Jail and added that half of them have been screened for the virus. Mangan said that all the prisoners and the jail staff will be tested for the virus.

Meanwhile, the number of coronavirus patients has increased to 137 as eight more patients were tested positive in district Matiari on Sunday.

According to a media report, two members of the same family were among eight new cases reported positive for COVID-19 during the last 24 hours. Two patients had so far lost their lives in the district while many active patients are under treatment in different hospitals as well as at their homes, officials said.

The District Administration also appealed to the general public to stay at their homes as a precautionary measure and implement standard operating procedures issued by health authorities to contain expected spread of COVID-19 in the district.