Assam's no to jail visitors to prevent spread of COVID-19

Worried over the possible spread of coronavirus, the Assam government has asked its 31 jails to discourage visitors to meet the inmates till the situation becomes normal and set up separate cells for new inmates.

Assam has reported no COVID-19 positive case so far but the state fears the possible spread of the dreaded virus from over 56,000 people who came from outside after the coronavirus outbreak in the rest of the country.

"Since the virus can spread from outside visitors, it has been instructed to all jail heads to discourage visitors until the coronavirus situation becomes normal, unless in case of an unavoidable cause. At the same time, three separate staying areas for the new inmates have been arranged inside Guwahati jail so that they don't mix with the inmates already lodged inside and thereby spread the virus. Also, thermal screening of the new inmates is being done to avoid any possible spread of the virus from outside," a senior prison official said.

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A total of 8,257 prisoners are now lodged in 31 jails in Assam, including six central jails, 22 district jails, a sub-jail, an open jail, and a special jail. Besides a total of 803 "declared foreigners" are now lodged in six detention camps inside the jails.

The state prisons department also asked the jail superintendents to move respective courts for permission for releasing the prisoners on parole in view of the possible outbreak of the COVID-19 in different parts of the country.

This comes after the Supreme Court on March 6 asked the Centre to work out modalities on how to release the prisoners on parole, while taking cognizance of the possible outbreak of the coronavirus.

"The state health department has also deployed three medical officials, including a doctor, in the Guwahati Central Jail in addition to the existing medical staffs to meet the situation," said the official.

Justice and Liberty Initiative, a human rights group in Assam on Wednesday wrote a letter to Chief Justice of India, SA Bobde seeking his directive to release the declared foreigners from detention camps in view of the Coronavirus fear.