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NEW DELHI: Around 60 paramedical staff of the Delhi prisons department have been inoculated so far during the COVID-19 vaccination drive, officials said on Sunday.
The vaccination drive began in the national capital on January 16 and the healthcare workers, who were at the forefront of the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, got the first shots of the vaccine.
“Around 60 paramedical staff of the prisons department have been vaccinated so far. They were vaccinated on different dates at the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital.
The vaccination will help boost the morale of the jail officials and security forces personnel, who were at a high risk of catching the virus due to the nature of their job,” Director General (Prisons) Sandeep Goel said.
According to a senior jail official, the prisons department has around 200 paramedical staff.
The department had asked around 3,600 staff members, including security personnel, to enroll themselves for receiving the coronavirus vaccine shots.
Around 1,600 jail staff, 1,000 Tamil Nadu Special Police personnel who carry out security duty at the Tihar Jail and 1,000 personnel of paramilitary forces have been enrolled for the purpose.
A total of 292 prisons staff had contracted the infection till Saturday, officials said, adding that only two are still under treatment while 290 have recuperated.
Of the 118 jail inmates who have tested positive for the viral disease so far, 116 have recovered while two have died, they said.
Among the three prisons in the national capital, the first COVID-19 case was reported in the Rohini Jail on May 13 last year.
Two COVID-positive inmates of the Mandoli Jail — both senior citizens — died on June 15 and July 4 last year.
Ever since the outbreak of the pandemic last year, the prisons department has remained vigilant and instructed its staff to not only maintain hygiene and social distancing, but also spread awareness among the inmates in the three jail complexes, officials said.
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