Two Tihar inmates, 6 staff test Covid positive

New Delhi, Jan 4 (IANS) Two prisoners and six staffers at the high-security Tihar Jail in the national capital have tested positive for Covid-19, a top official said on Tuesday.

Director General (Prisons) Sandeeep Goyal told IANS that none of the infected people were critical, adding: "No one is serious."

Delhi Prisons has three complexes, one at Tihar being one of the largest prison complexes in the world comprising nine central prisons; and second is Central Prison at Rohini Prison Complex; and third one is Mandoli Prison Complex having six Central Jails.

Goyal informed that no positive cases were reported in the Rohini and Mandoli jails so far.

"Covid positive cases in Delhi Prisons have come after a gap of about five months," he said, adding that the last positive case was detected in July 2021.

The development comes as the daily Covid-19 cases in the national capital is on the rise, with the city reporting 4,099 fresh infections and a positivity rate resting at 6.89 per cent until Monday evening.

The new cases have pushed up the infection tally to 14,58,220, while the death toll stood at 25,110.

Both are the highest since May 18, 2021, when the city logged 4,482 fresh cases at a test positivity rate of 6.89 per cent.

Meanwhile, the capital has so far detected 351 Omicron variant cases, of which 57 have been discharged from the hospital.