COVID-19: Nakatunya prison closed after surge in infections

The authorities in Soroti have closed Nakatunya Prison in Soroti City for two weeks after 101 inmates and staff tested positive for COVID-19.

The facility was closed last week to allow fumigation and treatment of the affected inmates and staff.

According to the Resident District Commissioner of Soroti, Patrick Okumu, the decision was taken to allow the COVID-19 team and management of prison to streamline on some issues he declined to mention.

He explained that Nakatunya Prison has been acting as an isolation centre where all the new inmates are examined and managed before mixing them with other prisoners. He adds that it has been a practice to test every new inmate before they are admitted, but he says the situation got out of hand.

According to Okumu, the inmates have been taken to Jinja for treatment as the facility is fumigated and prepared.

Dr. Alfred Adakun, one of the doctors managing COVID-19 at Soroti COVID-19 treatment Unit- CTU says the facility had more than occupants including the staff.

“All the inmates and staff were first taken to Kumi Prison and those who tested positive were taken to Jinja for treatment. We hope that after two weeks, most of them would have recovered and sent back. After two weeks, Kumi Prison will also be closed to allow fumigation,” he added.

Frank Baine, the Prisons Spokesman says that any inmate who tests positive to COVID-19 is taken to any of the five prisoners’ treatment centres spread across the country. They include Jinja, Moroto, Gulu, Mbarara and Kampala instead of mixing them in government treatment units. He adds that the closure of prisons facility is to enable fumigation of the prison cells.

According to Baine, Prisons Services in Uganda has recorded a total of 2,009 cumulative cases with five deaths that includes a staff, a relative to a staff and three inmates. He told our reporter that 34 inmates were transferred to Jinja Prisoner’s Treatment Centre.

Teso is currently an epicenter for COVID-19 infections with more than 1,000 active cases. Most of the patients are managed at home because of limited space at Soroti CTU.