Sudbury Jail closing temporarily due to COVID-19 outbreak

The Sudbury Jail will be temporarily closed for at least two weeks, in response to a COVID-19 outbreak at the facility. Public Health Sudbury and Districts declared the outbreak on Friday.

The Ministry of the Solicitor General said it decided, in consultation with the health unit, to temporarily close the jail "to ensure the safety and well-being of both correctional services staff and those in provincial custody."

In a statement to CBC, the ministry said 145 inmates will be transferred to other facilities. Those that have tested positive for COVID-19 will be isolated away from the general population.

The ministry said contact tracing of the inmate COVID-19 cases is underway, and closing the Sudbury Jail means staff will be able to self-isolate.

Sara Berghammer, the CEO of the John Howard Society for Sudbury and North Bay, said it was "really unfortunate" to hear about the outbreak and temporary closure, as it means programing offered for inmates by the society will have to be temporarily put on hold.