2 northeastern Ontario jails coping with COVID-19 outbreaks

The jails in Sudbury and North Bay in Ontario's north are currently dealing with COVID-19 outbreaks.

On Dec. 29, the outbreak was declared at the North Bay Jail. The North Bay Parry Sound Health Unit said on its website that as of Tuesday, 113 people had tested positive.

In Sudbury, Public Health Sudbury and Districts said an outbreak was declared in the "bravo unit" of the Sudbury jailon Saturday, but didn't disclose how many cases areinvolved.

On Tuesday, a spokesperson with the Ministry of the Attorney General said it had been informed of two cases at the Sudburyfacility.

Roselle Greuter, president of Ontario Public Services Employees Union Local 616 representing workers at the North Bay Jail, said 30 per cent of the staff remained at home.

"Staff are considerably exhausted," she said."We're critically short in staff."

Greuter said employees from different departmentshave been asked to help with meals and getting inmates to court appearances.

She said she usually works as a scheduler, but has shifted roles to help staff on the floor.

Greuter said corrections workers want to keep themselves safeand have requested N95 masks.

"We're not permitted to use them, apparently," she said.

"It has to go through a process and I get that. However, people need to move a little bit faster. This virus doesn't slow down because they need a weekend off."

'Prevent risk of infection'

In a statement, a spokesperson with the Ministry of the Solicitor Generalsaidsome inmates are being transferred out of the North Bay Jail.

"Transferring [North Bay]inmates will help prevent the risk of infection of COVID-19 at the facility and create additional capacity to manage close contact isolation requirements," the statement said.

"Any COVID-19 positive inmates transferred from [North Bay Jail]to other provincial correctional facilities would be placed on droplet and contact precautions and isolated from the rest of the inmate population while they receive appropriate medical care."

The spokesperson said no inmates are currently being moved out of the Sudbury Jail due to the outbreak.