Living in close quarters is not easy right now, and that is why the Ministry of Corrections and Policing is doing what it can to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in provincial correctional facilities.
Two staff members at Saskatoon Correctional Centre have been diagnosed with COVID-19. These individuals are self-isolating at home. The ministry is working with public health authorities to determine who these individuals might have come into contact with within the correctional facility and what measures need to be taken as a result.
Currently, there are no cases of COVID-19 among offenders in provincial correctional facilities. There is, however, one unit at the Saskatoon Correctional Centre on quarantine as a precautionary measure for what is believed to be a non-COVID-19 illness.
Staff members are asked to seek the advice of health care providers and to notify their supervisor when exhibiting symptoms. Nurses watch for symptoms of illness in the offender population and if symptoms are identified, they ensure prompt assessment, testing, documenting and reporting.
Personal protective equipment is being provided to corrections staff and offenders based on criteria established by the World Health Organization and public health authorities.
Other measures being taken include suspending or limiting programming to smaller groups, enhanced cleaning protocols, and communicating proper hygiene and contagious disease precautions.
