Agra, May 16 (IANS): The Agra administration and health officials are on the edge as COVID-19 has now reached the district jail. A 90-year-old prisoner, who was tested positive for the novel coronavirus, died during treatment at a medical college here. His report came on Friday. The administration has now isolated 28 inmates, after the prisoner was diagnosed with COVID-19.

Agra is in the throes of a major COVID-19 crisis as nine new positive cases have come forth, taking the total case count to 798, a health official said on Saturday. The death toll stands at 27 in the city. However, the authorities said that the recovery rate has improved, touching 485, almost 62 per cent.

District magistrate P.N. Singh said, "As many as 283 patients are under treatment. So far, 10,377 samples have been tested. The Chief Minister's team of senior bureaucrats that have spent five days in the city to review the prevention and management protocols, returned to Lucknow, having set in motion a process of change in the health infrastructure and the management of 44 hot zones in the city."

DIG (Jail Administration) Lav Kumar said, "Eight jail staffers had been home quarantined. Screening of all jail inmates will begin soon. Meanwhile, state roadways buses were mobilised to ferry marching migrant workers to their destinations. Patrolling on the highways has been intensified to provide prompt relief and transport to distressed migrants."