Everything you need to know about jail lockdown
New information has emerged about the movements of a prison officer who tested positive for coronavirus, as a dozen Queensland jails are forced into Stage 4 lockdown.
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More than 7000 Queensland prisoners are in lockdown after a prison officer tested positive for COVID-19.
The training officer, a 60-year-old Forest Lake man, returned a positive test yesterday after last reporting for duty at the Queensland Corrective Services Academy last Friday.
The training officer is in “good spirits”, according to colleagues.
The Courier-Mail has been told the 14 recruits at the academy went to the low-security women’s prison facility Helana Jones Centre for training last Wednesday.
The training officer last worked a shift at the academy on the Friday and did a COVID-19 test after feeling unwell over the weekend.
Representatives of Queensland Corrective Services were today asked if the trainer who tested positive went with the recruits during the Helana Jones visit. Questions were also asked if women prisoners at Helana Jones Centre would be COVID-19 tested.
A QCS spokesman responded: “All Queensland prisons from Rockhampton south are in full Stage 4 lockdown as a precaution while Queensland Health undertakes contact tracing. They will decide who requires testing, based on this tracing.”
The Courier-Mail has been told the majority of close-contact results have come back as negative - it’s understood more than 20 negative results have already come back.
The training officer’s case follows a cluster of other cases linked to the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre.
Prisons locked down with Stage 4 restrictions mean “non-essential” out-of-cell time and prisoner movement is suspended.
Visits from family, friends and legal representatives are banned and only essential workers including officers and Queensland Health staff are allowed entry.
People entering must undergo screening including thermal imaging and new prisoners in the jails are subject to 14-day isolation periods.
“On advice from the CHO (Chief Health Officer), all officers and essential workers entering these prisons must don a surgical face mask as PPE under the supervision of Queensland Health staff where they are unable to socially distance or are in close contact with a prisoner in excess of 15 minutes,” a Queensland Corrective Services statement said.
“This PPE will be provided by QCS. Officers working in Escort and Security Branch are required to wear a surgical mask and gloves when escorting prisoners.”
The prisons locked down on Stage 4 restrictions include:
Palen Creek Correctional Centre
Numinbah Correctional Centre
Southern Queensland Correctional Centre
Borallon Correctional Centre
Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre
Brisbane Correctional Centre
Brisbane Women’s Correctional Centre
Wolston Correctional Centre
Helana Jones Centre
Woodford Correctional Centre
Maryborough Correctional Centre
Capricornia Correctional Centre
