Visits suspended at federal prisons in Quebec to prevent potential COVID-19 spread

The Correctional Service of Canada says it is suspending visits to federal prisons in Quebec to prevent the potential spread of COVID-19.

The agency says temporary absences and work releases from institutions and community correctional centres in the province are also suspended.

Quebec has seen an increase in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, reporting 896 new cases on Sunday.

READ MORE: Quebec asks citizens to stop social gatherings for 28 days to ‘break’ second coronavirus wave

CSC says health services in its Quebec facilities will continue and temporary absences will be allowed on medical and compassionate grounds.

It says it will assess the directives on a weekly basis, and for now the restrictions do not apply to facilities in other provinces.

The agency says there are no active cases of COVID-19 among inmates in its 43 institutions across Canada.

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