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Myanmar to release 25,000 prisoners amid virus fears

17 April 2020 13:32 (UTC +04:00)

More than a quarter of Myanmar's prison population is to be released, the president's office announced Friday, as calls grow to ease pressure on overcrowded jails with coronavirus fears gripping the country, APA reports citing France 24.

The Southeast Asian nation grants an annual amnesty to thousands of prisoners to mark its April New Year holiday, but this is the largest ever recorded.

It comes as governments around the world -- including the US, parts of Europe, and Colombia -- grapple with overcrowded prisons as fears spiral of virus outbreaks behind bars.

So far Myanmar has officially confirmed 85 cases of COVID-19, including four deaths, but experts fear the real number is many times more due to the low numbers tested.