Fears over potential coronavirus outbreak in Victorian prisons
The coronavirus outbreak could cause Victoria’s legal system to grind to a halt, with a single confirmed case in a prison enough to throw the court calendar into chaos.
VIC News
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Victorian court officials fear a coronavirus outbreak could bring the entire justice system to a halt.
Senior figures have told the Herald Sun an outbreak of the deadly virus would cause a virtual court shutdown.
The Herald Sun is aware of two court hearings that have already been delayed because of the virus, however officials are most concerned about an outbreak inside Victorian prisons.
They say a single case inside a prison would force a total quarantine of Victorian prisoners, throwing the court calendar into chaos.
It would mean hundreds of court hearings, ranging from administrative hearings to trials and sentences, could be impacted if prisoners are unable to attend court.
While Victorian courts have the capability to run videolinks to prisons, the system would not be able to cope with the volume of matters before the court, sources say.
Prisoners entering the prison system are now being screened to assess for potential risk, a Department of Justice and Community Safety spokesperson said.
Information has also been posted in each prison gatehouse asking visitors to consider whether they pose a risk, and, if so, not to enter the prison.
The spokesperson said there had not yet been any cases of coronavirus identified in Victorian prisons.
“Justice Health and Corrections Victoria have established processes for preventing and managing communicable diseases in custody, including isolation protocols and ensuring close consultation with the Department of Health and Human Services,” the spokesperson said.
“Prison health and custodial staff have been briefed on the symptoms, potential risks and procedures for managing the virus, and continue to monitor the health of the prison population.”
Court Services Victoria spokeswoman Jenni Coady said an emergency management team had met to discuss the issue and will co-ordinate any response as required.
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