A scenario corrections and Public Health officials have been trying to avoid for two years is now playing out at Her Majesty’s Penitentiary.
As of yesterday, there were four inmates at HMP who have tested positive with COVID-19.
The affected units are on lockdown to ensure isolation requirements and prevent further spread while visitation and programming provided by outside groups have been temporarily suspended.
Correctional officers are working with Eastern Health to help manage the situation.
The Department of Justice says every effort has been made to prevent the spread from entering correctional facilities ever since the province declared a health emergency back in March of 2020.
Anyone entering custody, and service providers are screened before entering the facility and anyone displaying even one symptom is tested and isolated pending test results.