2 dozen inmates test positive for COVID-19 at B.C. correctional centre
Dozens of inmates at a B.C. correctional centre have tested positive for COVID-19, leading to a temporary suspension of visits.
In a statement Thursday, Correctional Service Canada said 24 inmates at Pacific Institution in Abbotsford were confirmed to have COVID-19. Testing is being offered to other inmates and staff, so the number of positives may change, CSC said.
"We are closely monitoring the situation, and measures are in place to minimize spread of the virus within the institution," CSC said.
All staff are given PPE, like medical masks and face shields, and inmates are encouraged to wear medical masks whenever they're not in their cells. Vaccinations have been offered since last January and boosters are being offered now, CSC said.
Just over 89 per cent of inmates at the facility have received two vaccine doses. Ninety-one per cent have gotten one shot and nearly 12 per cent have boosters.
In November, CSC implemented a policy requiring all visitors to provide proof of full vaccination, or a valid exemption and negative test, before entering prisons and parole offices.
For now, in-person visits at the institution are suspended. CSC said it's offering other options to help inmates connect with family and support networks.
Earlier this week, dozens of COVID-19 cases at another correctional centre were announced. Twenty-eight people tested positive at the Matsqui Institution, which is also in Abbotsford.
CSC did not provide any details on the severity of the inmates' illnesses at either facility, or how COVID-19 may have been introduced into the prison population.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Andrew Weichel
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING NEWS Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
Residents of northern Alberta First Nation told to shelter in place
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'