COVID-19 outbreak at Milton’s Maplehurst Correctional Complex is Ontario’s worst jail outbreak

A COVID-19 outbreak at a Milton jail is now the worst jail outbreak the province has seen since the start of the pandemic.

There are currently 130 active cases among staff members and inmates at the Maplehurst Correctional Complex.

The provincial government has decided that the facility will not take any new inmates until the outbreak is under control.

This decision comes after the union that represents correctional officers called for a halt to new admissions last week.

A spokesperson for the solicitor general tells the Toronto Star that the complex is currently running over capacity and has been near capacity on average for the last six months.

Peter Figliola, president of Local 234 of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, said the halting of new admissions is the decision.

“Diverting new admissions to other facilities not only prevents new admissions from being exposed to the current outbreak, it also allows us to free up areas so that we can cohort individuals and keep healthy inmates from being exposed,” said Figliola.

Last week the facility confirmed that approximately 240 inmates were in temporary isolation to prevent further spread after 14 cases were detected at the facility.

It’s still unclear when the province’s correctional officers and inmates will be able to get vaccinated.