COVID-19 outbreak declared at Kent Institution in Agassiz
Posted January 4, 2022 8:43 pm.
Last Updated January 5, 2022 6:23 pm.
A COVID-19 outbreak has been declared at a maximum-security federal prison in B.C.’s Fraser Valley, and the number of prisoners infected has risen to 37.
The Correctional Service of Canada announced the outbreak in a statement dated Dec. 31, posted online Tuesday. At that time, 18 staff and two inmates had tested positive.
“Measures are in place to minimize spread of the virus within the institution,” the statement says. “The number of active cases currently reported for this institution may change as more testing is conducted and laboratory-confirmed results are available.”
By Wednesday, data from the Correctional Service of Canada showed 37 positive tests among inmates. An update on the number of staff who have tested positive has not been shared.
A negative rapid test will be required before employees can enter the prison, and in-person visits have been suspended.
The rate of vaccination among prisoners at Kent Institution is 67.2 per cent, lower than the provincial average of 81.2 per cent. The Correctional Service of Canada says all prisoners in federal institutions have been offered vaccines, and those who received their first dose more than five months ago have been offered boosters.
There is a COVID-19 outbreak at Kent Institution, a federal prison near Agassiz B.C. 18 staff and two prisoners have tested positive. Workers are being rapid tested, in-person visits suspended. This comes as outbreaks reported in prisons across Canada. https://t.co/nxgZ7ETP7w
— Lisa Steacy (@lisa_steacy) January 5, 2022
The outbreak comes as others are reported at a number of federal institutions across Canada, as the Omicron variant causes case counts to spike nation-wide.
On Friday, Correctional Services spokeswoman Marie Pier Lecuyer said a total of 248 staff have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, compared with 107 inmates. The previous day, the agency had reported infections in 160 staff members and 88 inmates.
With files from The Canadian Press
