Correction Workers Test Positive for Coronavirus

The SGEU says two of their members, Correction Officers in Saskatoon, have tested positive for COVID-19.

President Bob Bymoen says they need more information and clarity on what action is being taken regarding a pandemic plan for corrections officers.

SGEU says overcrowding in correctional facilities and close confinement lead to specific challenges for corrections workers.

Thursday Justice Minister Don Morgan said none of the corrections facilities were overcrowded or at capacity.

The Union wants increased testing of inmates, corrections staff and deputy sheriffs. They also want immediate provision for staff in correctional facilities and courts such as masks and gloves.

The Ministry of Corrections and Policing says it is taking significant steps to reduce the potential spread of COVID-19 in the province’s correctional facilities .

The Ministry confirms what SGEU has already said; two staff at Saskatoon Correctional Centre have tested positive and are self isolating at home.

Corrections and public health authorities are determining who the two correction officers might have come in contact with at the correctional facility and any necessary measures that need to be taken.

The ministry is trying to determine how to manage the inmate population in light of the COVID-19 outbreak. The Ministry says when there is a suspected illness among the offender population, the facility director put disease specific precautions in place like medical cells or other isolated areas.

The government also says that they are providing personal protective equipment , although they don’t list specifics, the province does say it is based on criteria established by the World Health Organization and public health authorities.

Staff who believe they are exhibiting symptoms of coronavirus are to contact a health care provider and notify their supervisor.