Some prisoners at Maafushi Prison have been transferred to home arrest due to an alarming COVID-19 cluster in the prison.
Maldives Correctional Services said some high-risk prisoners were changed to home arrest and that more prisoners will be changed home in the coming days. He declined to disclose the number of prisoners who were changed home and did not provide further information.
Seventy-eight positive cases have been identified in Maafushi Prison, out of which 66 cases are of prisoners. Twelve jail officers have also tested positive. According to Corrections, 215 prisoners and three jail officers are in quarantine.
On January 14, the prison was put under high alert due to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases. Family and lawyer meetings are no longer conducted in person, and all such meetings and court hearings are being conducted online.
