The union that represents Canadian correctional officers says the COVID-19 outbreak at Manitoba’s Stony Mountain Institution has grown.
Late last week, Correctional Service Canada said 12 employees had tested positive for COVID-19 — a number that continues to grow.
“The report that I received late last evening was that the number of positive staff members has increased to 20 — the significant majority are correctional officers, our members,” said Jeff Wilkins, president of the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers.
“We do have a number of staff who are out for what they call high-risk contact, through contact tracing, so there’s 18 staff members out for that.”
The total COVID-19 count for inmates at the federal prison, located just north of Winnipeg, remains at two, he said.
On Thursday, Correctional Service Canada said measures were in place to restrict the spread of the virus, including almost 80 per cent of inmates being fully vaccinated, as well as enhanced screening, sanitizing, and a temporary shutdown of visitors to Stony Mountain.
Wilkins said while staff aren’t in a crisis yet, the number of employees affected by the pandemic is being watched closely.
“Obviously, any time you’re seeing a reduction in the workforce, it puts the burden on those who are reporting to work,” he told Global News.
“As we recall, just last year in January, Stony Mountain had one of the biggest outbreaks in the country, and staffing was a big concern there.
“Given the transmissibility of this virus, we are obviously concerned that staffing could become an issue.”
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