60 inmates, 8 staff test positive for coronavirus at Brampton jail
Posted April 19, 2020 11:18 pm.
Last Updated April 20, 2020 8:47 pm.
The Ministry of the Solicitor General says 60 inmates and eight staff have tested positive for coronavirus at the Ontario Correctional Institute (OCI) in Brampton.
Earlier Monday, several sources confirmed to CityNews that the Ontario Correctional Institute in Brampton will temporarily close by the end of the day after at least three correctional officers tested positive for COVID-19.
The ministry aims to move approximately 140 inmates currently housed at OCI to the Toronto South Detention Centre in Etobicoke over the next 24 hours.
All current staff at the Brampton jail, which focuses on rehabilitating inmates with substance abuse or a history of sexual offences, are expected to be placed on a 14 day paid quarantine, before being redeployed to other parts of Ontario’s correctional system.
Peel Public Health declared an outbreak at the jail on Thursday after three correctional officers at the facility tested positive for COVID-19 and were potentially contagious while at work.
As of late last week, the province confirmed only four inmates – three at Toronto South and one at Monteith Correctional Facility – had tested positive for COVID-19. The new total now stands at 64.
In addition, five correctional officers – including one at Toronto South – had previously tested positive for COVID19, bringing the total to 13.
According to internal documents obtained by CityNews, during the shutdown, the OCI will be professionally cleaned and sterilized.
On Monday evening, the union that represents some Ontario correctional workers said in a tweet that “management incompetence is behind the large COVID-19 outbreak forcing the temporary closure of the Ontario Correctional Institute in Brampton.”
Management incompetence is behind the large #COVID19 outbreak forcing the temporary closure of the Ontario Correctional Institute in Brampton. @OPSEUSmokey & @OPSEUEddy are demanding @SylviaJonesMPP & @ONSafety listen to frontline workers. #OnPoli #OnLab https://t.co/bokNL0MBnU pic.twitter.com/63G1xASvR6
— OPSEU (@OPSEU) April 20, 2020
