The Prisons Department is to provide the second dose of Chinese Sinopharm COVID-19 Vaccine for the inmates who had already received the first dose, Prisons Commissioner, Administration and Media Spokesperson Chandana Ekanayake said.

He said this is in order to protect them from the danger posed by COVID-19 and under the vaccination rollout, inmates in all prisons in the country will be included to receive the second dose.

As part of the first phase of the programme, arrangements have been made to administer the second Sinopharm jab to 2067 males and 396 female prisoners at the Welikada prison.

Moreover, 964 inmates in the Colombo Remand Prison, 694 inmates in the New Magazine Prison will also get the second jab starting from tomorrow adhering to strict health guidelines. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)