Covid-19

UP jails manufacturing covid-19 PPE kits, face masks

Virendra Singh Rawat
Lucknow / June 23, 2020

Amid the spread of covid-19 infection, the prisons in Uttar Pradesh have become mini manufacturing hubs for the personal protection equipment (PPE) kits and face masks to protect against the pandemic.

Following the lockdown, the state jail administration had set up production facilities to manufacture covid-19 masks, PPE kits and even hand sanitiser for both captive use and external supplies.

These production units, manned by the prison inmates, have so far manufactured more than 1.6 million face masks and 2,125 PPE kits.

UP additional chief secretary, home, Avanish Kumar Awasthi claimed the government had successfully controlled the spread of the disease in jails due to pre-emptive measures taken by the authorities, including sensitising inmates and sample testing.

According to UP Director General of Police (DGP), prisons, Anand Kumar, random sample testing of the inmates and jail staff was conducted on a regular basis. So far, the samples of 8,272 inmates and 926 jail staff were tested, of which 37 inmates were found to be covid-positive. They were shifted to hospitals for treatment.

EOM