Muzaffarnagar, Sep 8: Forty-three inmates of two jails in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district have tested positive for the novel coronavirus and were moved to isolation wards in the prison complexes, officials said on Tuesday.

The fresh infections -- 22 in the district jail and 21 in a temporary jail -- took the number of infected jail inmates in the district to 400, they said. So far, 210 inmates of the district jail and 190 in the temporary jail have tested positive for COVID-19, they said. COVID-19 Spread in Arthur Road Jail: 81 More Inmates Test Positive, Toll Reaches 184 Including 26 Prison Staffers.

According to district jail superintendent Kamlesh Singh, the prison houses more than 2,700 inmates. In view of rising cases of COVID-19 in jails, the state prison authorities have decided to establish isolation wards in all district and temporary jails.

Additional district magistrate of Muzaffarnagar Amit Singh said they have set up isolation wards in the district and temporary jails and moved the infected inmates there.