KAWARTHA LAKES-The Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay is now reporting 49 active cases of Coronavirus according to the Ontario government website.
An outbreak was declared at the facility on May 17th and the numbers have quickly grown. The cases have doubled in less than a week. On May 20th there were 21 cases reported.
According to the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit the outbreak is in Unit 5 and the kitchen.
The Ministry of the Solicitor General told Kawartha 411 any inmate that tests positive for COVID-19 is placed under droplet precautions and isolated from the rest of the inmate population while they receive appropriate medical care. The ministry continues to work with local public health authorities to complete contact tracing, and voluntary testing of inmates is ongoing.
“Protecting the health and safety of correctional services staff and those in provincial custody is the ministry’s top priority.” Andrew Morrision, Media Relations with the ministry told Kawartha 411 News.
Morrison says over the past year, the ministry has made important operational changes across all provincial correctional facilities including:
o  Screening and testing all newly admitted inmates, with their consent
o  Housing all newly admitted inmates in a separate area from the general population for 14 days
o  Masks provided to inmates, if required
o  Providing personal protective equipment for all staff
o  Requiring all staff to wear a mask and appropriate eye protection at all times while at the facility
o  Requiring visitors to wear masks at all times while at the facility
o  Requiring temperature checks for staff and visitors
o  Working with local public health units to test inmates and staff as appropriate.
o  Increased cleaning measures
There are 80 active cases of the virus in the City of Kawartha Lakes as of Saturday May 22, 2021. 56 people have lost their lives.
