COVID-19 outbreak at island’s prison

BRIDGETOWN (CMC):

Officials at the island’s Dodds Prison have confirmed a COVID-19 outbreak, with more than 50 inmates and staffers so far testing positive for the virus, but Minister of Home Affairs and Information Wilfred Abrahams said operations at the penal institution have not been significantly affected.

Abrahams said in a statement issued late Wednesday that the testing of prison officers, who reported for duty earlier in the day, resulted in the discovery of five cases that do not seem connected to the previous cluster of cases.

He said a staff member who works in the prison’s kitchen had tested positive for COVID-19, which resulted in the testing of all the associated inmates and staff between January 29 and 31. From that number, 18 male inmates tested positive on their first test, and a further 26 received positive results on Wednesday from their second tests on Tuesday.

“At present, all of the positive inmates are stable and are isolated in the prison, while all of those who have been in contact with them have been quarantined away from the rest of the prison population,” he said.

“So far, besides the initial positive prison officer who works in the kitchen, two other kitchen staff have tested positive (one male, one female), and this particular outbreak seems to be limited to the kitchen staff and kitchen work detail inmates primarily, and secondarily, the residential areas that the positive inmates are associated with.”

Abrahams said a decision was made to rapid test Wednesday’s incoming shift of prison officers, and five positive results have been reported.

“It would appear at this time that these new positives are not related to the kitchen outbreak; and while this is a concerning development, it is not surprising, considering the prevailing positivity rate outside of the prison since Omicron’s emergence. At present, prison operations have not been significantly affected,” he said.

“Every week sees small numbers of staff exposed to COVID-19 from family and friends. Since the Delta surge, there are always a few members of staff in isolation, be it at home, or in a facility, and this has increased somewhat since Omicron has reached our shores,” Abrahams said.