Kampala -Ugandan prison authorities warned on Tuesday that mass-testing is needed for inmates of the country’s congested jails, after 153 prisoners tested positive for the coronavirus.
A prison worker and 153 inmates tested positive for the virus on Saturday in Amuru prison near the South Sudan border, Uganda Prisons Service spokesman Frank Baine said.
“We are asking government to help us carry out the testing of all inmates and prisons staff all over the country.
“This is when we will know the magnitude of the problem,” Baine said.
“Cases are soaring up everywhere and we are worried for our staff and inmates,” he added.
Uganda has so far confirmed 2,362 coronavirus infections and 22 deaths, according to the country’s health ministry.
(dpa/NAN)