ANKARA

A prison in Kenya has been placed under lockdown after 48 inmates tested positive for the novel coronavirus, local media reported on Friday.

In a notice to authorities of Kericho GK Prison, the health department barred movement in and outside the correctional facility, according to The Standard news website.

Kericho County Governor Paul Chepkwony in a statement said the health department was prompted by a surge in community infections.

“We initiated mass testing in public facilities including the GK Prison, which has now emerged as one of the most hit facilities in the country,” he was quoted as saying.

Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta announced on July 6 a phased reopening of the country from a COVID-19 lockdown.

A nationwide nightly curfew between 9 p.m. and 4 a.m., however, still continues.

As many as 31,441 virus cases, including 516 deaths and 17,869 recoveries have been confirmed in the East African country to date, according to the latest figures by Johns Hopkins University.