Correctional Service Canada (CSC) has confirmed that a Millhaven Institution employee has tested positive for COVID-19.
Monday morning, Global News received tips from two people claiming to be family members of inmates at the institution, saying the penitentiary went into “lockdown” after a correctional officer at the institution tested positive for the disease.
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CSC did not confirm the lockdown but said an employee at the institution tested positive, and that “as a precaution, the institutional routine has been modified,” but did not say how.
When asked about the case, KFL&A Public Health said it could not “share any identifying information of any of case or potential case outside of the established contact tracing and case management procedures.”
It’s unclear when the employee tested positive for COVID-19, since KFL&A has not reported any new cases of the virus in the Kingston region over the weekend. CSC has yet to respond to a request for more detailed information.
“We have been working closely with public health to conduct contact tracing and ensure that close contacts are self-isolating, and to conduct additional testing,” CSC said in a statement.
Currently, CSC is not reporting any positive cases of COVID-19 among inmates at Millhaven or any other federal penitentiary.
CSC says it is monitoring the situation closely and has safety measures in place to mitigate the spread of the virus, like screening anyone who enters the building, and equipping all employees and inmates with masks and other personal protective equipment when required.
“We have health services in our institutions with health professionals on-site to monitor and treat inmates, as needed. We are committed to reducing the risks of COVID-19 in all of our operations and keeping our employees, inmates and the public safe,” CSC said.