The Prisons Department has set up a Covid 19 prevention committee after 174 inmates and prison officials tested positive for Covid 19. Commissioner General of Prisons Thushara Upuldeniya said a Covid 19 prevention committee has also been formed to combat the issue.
The committee comprises of Commissioner of Prisons (Administration) Chandana Ekanayake, Deputy Director of Prison Health Services Hemantha Ranasinghe, Commissioner of Prisons K.A.S Kodituwakku, Assistant Superintendent of Prisons Prasad Prematilake and Cheif Jailor of the Welikada Prison Premawansha.
The committee will be tasked with preventing the further spread of Covid 19 in the Welikada prison, Colomb remand prison, Welikada prison women’s section and the Old Bogambara prison he said adding that the committee will be expected to ensure that all prison officers and inmates testing positive for Covid are hospitalized and look into the welfare of their families.
According to the Commissioner General of Prisons, nearly 9500 PCR tests have been carried out in prisons affected by Covid 19. “7000 tests were done in the three prisons in Colombo” he said adding that it was revealed that four prison officials, 90 female inmates and 69 male inmates have become infected with Covid.
