R Kelly asks to be released from prison in light of coronavirus

American singer R Kelly has requested to be released from the federal prison in Chicago over concerns of the coronavirus pandemic that is accelerating worldwide.

According to People magazine, the 53-year-old was described to be within the list of those at a higher risk of contracting the infectious disease, said the motion for bond filed by Kelly's lawyers in US District Court in Chicago on Thursday.

It was further claimed that sanitizers and soaps 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 stated.

However, lawyers of the singer who is locked up without bail following his arrest on multiple sex crime charges, argued that: "The courts have long recognised 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 that Kelly remain jailed.