R. Kelly seeks way out of prison over concerns of coronavirus

American singer-songwriter R. Kelly is asking to be released from federal prison in Chicago citing concerns of him getting struck with the novel coronavirus owing to the prison's conditions. 

The 53-year-old singer was described to be within the list of those at a higher risk of contracting the infectious disease, said the motion for bond filed in US District Court in Chicago on Thursday.

It was further claimed that soap and sanitizers are limited in the Metropolitan Correctional Center with several convicts confined in two-person cells, making social distancing a challenge.

“The visitor’s bathroom on the entry-level floor of the MCC frequently has no soap or paper towels available, which makes it difficult for individuals entering the facility to adequately clean their hands before visiting,” the filing states.

Lawyers of the singer, who is locked up without bail following his arrest on multiple sex crime charges, argue that: “The courts have long recognized that there is no greater necessity than keeping a defendant alive, no matter the charge.”

While a ruling has not yet been issued on the recent motion out of Chicago, New York-based prosecutors have urged for his jail term to continue.

The filing further adds, that given the release, Kelly would be under house arrest in his apartment complex in Chicago with his girlfriend Joycelyn Savage.

The singer is scheduled to go on trial in New York in July and in Chicago later on October 13.