The COVID-19 outbreak at the Thunder Bay District Jail and the Thunder Bay Correctional Centre has more inmates on the move.
The union official at the jail, Bill Hayes, tells us the ministry of corrections made it happen over the weekend in addition to the dozen sent south last week.
“The ministry made arrangements to transfer approximately 40 inmates out of Thunder Bay between the two facilities and transferred them to the Toronto South Detention Centre,” says the head of the Ontario Public Service Employee Union at the jail.
Hayes adds “I don’t see how there’s any other choice at this moment. I’ve been asking them to look at this count for months now because I knew it would be blowing up and here we are and now they’re finally taking action.”
Last week the District Health Unit announced there were over 40 COVID-19 cases at the Correctional Centre on Highway 61.
At last count there were about 23 inmates and staff at the District Jail who have tested positive for the coronavirus
The OPSEU official says inmate testing at the jail was taking place Monday and they hope to have staff tested by the end of the week.