Coronavirus also rages among detainees in China

Text by: Angélique Forget

In China, the coronavirus epidemic is spreading in prisons. A total of around 500 cases of contamination have occurred in prisons, raising fears of further outbreaks.

Publicity

With our correspondent in Shanghai,

Three Chinese provinces reported having identified cases of Covid-19 contamination in prisons. First concerned, the province of Hubei, epicenter of the epidemic . 271 detainees were infected. Among them, 230 are in Wuhan Women's Prison. Prison officials were sacked for failing to contain the contagion

But it's not just Hubei: the provinces of Shandong and Zhejiang in eastern China are also affected. In total, more than 230 prisoners and at least seven guards were infected.

These infections cause fear of the worst, because Chinese prisons do not respect the rules of hygiene and sanitation. The virus could spread further, and those convicted have no assurance that they will be able to see a doctor.

In addition, members of the Uighur diaspora are worried about their loved ones locked up in gigantic camps in the west of the country. Almost a million people are detained there. In these often dirty and poorly heated centers, many detainees are confined to each cell.

► Read also: Coronavirus: the entire Chinese territory is now affected by the epidemic

Newsletter With the Daily Newsletter, find the headlines directly in your mailbox

Download the app

• China
• coronavirus
• Health and Medicine

On the same subject

Coronavirus: Pyongyang marathon canceled

Coronavirus: in Hubei, the impossible repatriation of a Chinese resident in France

Coronavirus: demonstration in Ukraine against the return of evacuees from China