72 inmates, 7 staff members of Mumbai's Arthur Road Jail test positive for coronavirus

At least 72 inmates and 7 staff members of Arthur Road jail in Mumbai have tested positive for coronavirus, the state government said on Thursday. 

All positive inmates will he shifted to GT Hospital and St George hospital in guarded vehicles Friday morning. All Staff members found positive will be shifted separately.

The jail was following complete lockdown from April 4 and no new inmate was either lodged nor was any one take out for court appearance. The state government had directed complete lockdown was for eight prisons, including the Arthur Road Jail, and no one was allowed to leave prison. 

Even the jail staff was not allowed to leave the prison. 

The first case was reported after an undertrial showed symptoms and was taken to JJ Hospital where he tested positive. After that, samples of nearly 200 inmates and staff members were collected and the results came back on Thursday, confirming 79 positive.  

A team from JJ Hospital has further collected samples of 200 people for testing. 

"These prisoners will be quarantined with the help of the Mumbai civic body," Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said.

Deshmukh said the state government had decided to release on parole some 5,000 prisoners who have been sentenced to less than seven years' imprisonment to stop the overcrowding. 

Mumbai's Arthur Road jail has the capacity of 800 inmates but there are over 2500 prisoners.