Coronavirus fears intensify as virus tally climbs in Qld prisons
Five Queensland prison officers have now tested positive for coronavirus, while 78 are self-isolating. It follows a jail lockdown when an officer tested positive two weeks ago.
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FIVE prison officers have now tested positive to coronavirus with 78 staff self-isolating as a precaution, Queensland Corrective Services has confirmed.
Jail lockdown and coronavirus positive linked to officer borrowing a trailer
A spokesman confirmed those who tested positive were all custodial officers.
“Of these, only one attended a workplace while they were contagious,” the spokesman said.
“There have been no prisoners tested positive for COVID-19.”
The spokesman said a prisoner taken to hospital from Wolston with flu-like symptoms had tested negative to COVID-19.
The jail was locked down two weeks ago when an officer tested positive to coronavirus after he let a holidaying colleague, who had just returned from the highly-infected Ruby Princess cruise, borrow a trailer.
The officer is understood to have worked three 12-hour shifts after lending the trailer to his colleague.
The realisation was made by authorities after the holidaying colleague tested positive and authorities traced who he had been in contact with.
The measures were put in place at Wolston jail to try to stop the spread of the virus.
The jail houses high-profile murderers including wife-killer Gerard Baden-Clay, child killer Brett Cowan and triple murderer Max Sica.
It also houses hundreds of paedophiles, many aged above 60.
Meanwhile, Arthur Gorrie prison remains in lockdown with more prisoners joining a rooftop protest over the prison’s strict new coronavirus measures.
A spokesman said their main issue still related to not having visits at the jail which have been banned under measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Under these new restrictions at the state’s jails, prison visits from family and friends have been banned.
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