Three staff members at the Thunder Bay Correctional Centre are confirmed to have COVID-19.
The infections forced the Thunder Bay District Health Unit to declare an outbreak Monday, but so far no inmates have received a positive test result.
President Shawn Bradshaw of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) Local 708 said an office worker also contracted the virus ten days ago.
“We’ve been short staffed for so long that this is really nothing new,” Bradshaw responded when asked about staffing levels during the outbreak. “We do have a couple of (individuals) who are off as close contacts with those staff (members), which has made it a little hard but we’re getting through it. To have our first positive test last Monday and to only have three cases at this point is a good sign.”
On January 7th the Health Unit declared an outbreak at the Thunder Bay District Jail with 24 positive cases of COVID-19.
While the number was as high as 86 cases Monday, President of OPSEU local 737 Bill Hayes said that the number has since dropped to 68 inmates and seven staff infected.
“We were able to get some inmates transferred over the weekend,” Hayes confirmed. “But we kind of ran into roadblocks this week, a lot of it has to do with other institutions that are in outbreak (situations) now and being able to find space. The whole province is going through this right now, so it’s really causing issue with being able to find space and move inmates around.”
A spokesperson with the Ministry of the Solicitor General noted that any COVID-19 positive inmates would be isolated from the rest of the inmate population while they receive appropriate medical care.
