Separate facilities to treat COVID-19 infected prisoners

State Minister of Prison Reforms and Prisoners’ Rehabilitation, Dr. Shudarshini Fernandopulle said these hospitals are located in Gallella - Polonnaruwa, Kandakadu Treatment Facility, and Welikanda.

In addition, close contacts and suspected cases will be quarantined at the Welikada Prison Hospital while the Pallansena Open Correctional Centre will be used to quarantine female close contacts and suspected cases.

The State Minister said around 9,500 PCR tests were carried across prisons in Sri Lanka.

She further said the COVID-19 cases reported from prisons have been identified as those who were moved into prison in recent days.

Dr. Shudarshini Fernandopulle said all new male prisoners are first moved to the Old Bogambara Prison for quarantine and visitors have been barred from entering prisons.

She further said prisoners are not permitted to receive food or beverage from the outside, adding the transfer of prisoners was suspended as well.

Prisoners are escorted to the court only in the event of an urgent matter, and apart from that prisoners are produced to the court via video link set up inside prisons.

437 COVID-19 cases were detected from prisons across the country.