The COVID-19 outbreak at the Central North Correctional Centre is into double digits.
There are now 14 inmates and two staff members who have tested positive for the virus at the Penetanguishene institution. That's a substantial increase from Thursday's seven inmates/two staff total.
In declaring the outbreak earlier this week, Dr. Charles Gardner from the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit said one staff member had initially tested positive along with two inmates, all from the same unit.
Further testing is ongoing at the facility that normally houses more than 900 inmates.
After the outbreak was declared, Richard Dionne, president of OPSEU local CNCC-369, said all staff are now wearing face shields in addition to the universal masking previously in place.
Andrew Morrison, a spokesperson with the Ministry of the Solicitor General, said affected inmates "are under droplet precautions" and isolated from the rest of the inmate population while they receive appropriate medical care.
“The ministry is working with the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit to support contact tracing," he said earlier this week. "Protecting the health and safety of correctional services staff and those in provincial custody is the ministry’s top priority."
Morrison outlined some of the operational changes the ministry has made over the last number of months at all provincial correctional facilities.
They include: Testing all newly admitted inmates, with their consent, housing all newly admitted inmates in a separate area from the general population for 14 days, providing masks to inmates (if required), providing personal protective equipment for all staff, increased cleaning measures as well as requiring all staff and visitors to always wear masks and submit to temperature checks.
