While one COVID-19 outbreak is over at one Penetanguishene facility, another one just down the road has grown exponentially.
“We are over 120 total cases (among inmates) at this point,” said Richard Dionne, CNCC-369 local president at the Central North Correctional Centre.
“All of the current PPE protocols are being followed, nothing has changed from that perspective.”
Meanwhile at Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care, two COVID-19 outbreaks on separate patient care units are now over.
The superjail outbreak has ballooned quickly, given the fact that just last Wednesday, Dionne said eight inmates and 20 CNCC staff had tested positive.
While Dionne didn’t immediately provide a breakdown of how many staff and inmates have now tested positive, he earlier noted that the Ministry of the Solicitor General moved a number of inmates from North Bay Jail, which is struggling to control its own outbreak.
“With the number of staff who have tested, and how quickly this variant appears to be spreading, there are definitely concerns around staffing,” Dionne said. “Typically, these cause lockdowns, increased workload and frustration for staff, increased tension for inmates which makes for a very difficult work environment for my members.”
Andrew Morrison, a spokesman with the Solicitor General’s office, said that each facility has its own pandemic plan in place prepared in consultation with local public health partners.
“Protecting the health and safety of correctional services staff and those in provincial custody is the ministry’s top priority,” Morrison said, pointing out the ministry has developed COVID protocols for provincial correctional facilities, in alignment with the Ministry of Health and public health partners.
“Any inmate that tests positive for COVID-19 is placed on droplet and contact precautions and isolated from the rest of the inmate population while they receive appropriate medical care,” he said, noting the ministry has its own supply of COVID-19 vaccines and makes the vaccine available to all eligible inmates on an ongoing basis.
Over at Waypoint, the Bayview Program (dual diagnosis unit) outbreak was declared over Friday after being initially declared on Jan. 7. The outbreak resulted in three patients and three staff testing positive for COVID-19.
The Horizon Program (geriatric psychiatric unit), which went into outbreak on New Year’s Day and resulted in 10 patients and 11 staff testing positive, was also declared over last week.
Both units are open to admissions, however the general visitation remains suspended at this time, the facility noted in a release.
“Designated essential visitors/care partners and visitors for palliative patients continue to be permitted,” the release stated.
“We are extremely grateful to all of our staff for their efforts in managing these outbreaks and supporting our patients through these difficult times."
