19 COVID-19 cases connected to Sudbury Jail outbreak, inmates being transferred
The Sudbury Jail is being closed for at least two weeks following a COVID-19 outbreak, as Sudbury's health unit reports 37 new cases in the district on Monday.
The Ministry of the Solicitor General tells CTV News Northern Ontario there are 16 COVID-19-positive inmates associated with the current Sudbury Jail outbreak. Public Health Sudbury and Districts confirm there are a total of 19 people who have tested positive for COVID-19 at the Sudbury jail, indicating that three people that are not incarcerated have been infected.
The facility is being closed for a minimum of 14 days. Inmates are being transferred to other facilities and the Ministry of the Solicitor General said the temporary closure will allow facility staff to self-isolate and reduce the risk of transmission within the community.
A spokesperson with the Ministry of the Solicitor General said Monday about 145 inmates at the jail will be transferred to other facilities "that have capacity and ability to isolate these inmates under droplet precautions separately from the general population."
"Staff assigned to transfer inmates are following appropriate infection control protocols to prevent the risk of any further spread of infection," said Andrew Morrison in an email.
"The ministry does not publicly disclose details on inmate transfers for security reasons."
Inmates who have tested positive will be separated from others to prevent further spread.
"Inmates from the Sudbury Jail who are COVID-19 positive will be isolated from the rest of the inmate population under droplet precautions at the receiving facilities while they receive appropriate medical care," Morrison said.
"The ministry is working with the health unit to complete contact tracing of inmate cases."
--With notes from Alana Everson
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
An Ontario senior thought he called Geek Squad for help with his printer. Instead, he got scammed out of $25,000
An Ontario senior’s attempt to get technical help online led him into a spoofing scam where he lost $25,000. Now, he’s sharing his story to warn others.