‘Maskless’ prison officer linked to Covid outbreak at Bathurst jail

A prison officer who went to work ‘maskless’ and with flu-like symptoms has been linked to a Covid outbreak at a NSW jail, which resulted in up to 11 people having to self-isolate.

A prison officer accused of turning up to work unwell and without a mask had returned two negative Covid tests.

Responding to claims a Bathurst prison officer had been linked to a Covid outbreak at the jail

which has seen up to 11 people having to self-isolate, union boss Nicole Jess said the officer had followed prison Covid protocols.

Prison sources say the officer went to work with symptoms for four days without a mask before taking a Covid test, which confirmed he was positive.

Ms Jess, from the Prison Officers Vocational Branch, said the infected prison officer had not intentionally gone to work unwell, and had two negative results from Covid tests.

At the time he had been escorting a Covid-positive inmate, the officer had been wearing a mask but it was raining and the mask got wet “and (was) therefore ineffective”.

Eleven people have had to isolate after a Covid outbreak at Bathurst Correctional Centre. Picture: Supplied

“He had followed the protocols set down by the command post, including isolating and getting tested,” Ms Jess said.

“He had mild symptoms, but had had two negative Covid tests and so returned to work.

“When he began to get worse, he went and got tested a third time and it came back positive.

“He never intentionally came to work sick.”

The incident comes amid revelations last week that the Department of Community and Justice was assessing whether compulsory vaccinations might be required in prisons.

The move has prompted a backlash among some “anti-vaxxer” staff, who have formed a group to fight the proposal.

In a message on Telegram, the group called on like-minded officers to join their campaign on “how we might deal with the upcoming vaccine mandate”.

“Here we can discuss our issue with privacy and without being accused of misusing departmental email systems,” the message said.

Twelve inmates at Parklea Correctional Centre tested positive to Covid last week. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gaye Gerard

The move follows the temporary lockdown of multiple prisons in response to a Covid breakout at Parklea this week, with inmates that had been transferred from the jail having to be isolated from the general population.

On Tuesday, at least 112 people held in Sydney prisons had tested positive, including more than 60 at Parklea and another 46 at Silverwater’s Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre (MRRC).

The rapid spread left prison authorities grappling to isolate inmates, with Corrective Services NSW at one stage floating the use of the minimum security Dawn De Loas correctional centre to accommodate some of the prisoners until the union raised concerns about its lack of security.

While most prisons had been cleared to end the lockdown by yesterday – except for Bathurst and Parklea – another issue was emerging at the MRRC.

With the department placing all fresh custodies at the Silverwater complex, space was becoming critical at the 1500 capacity prison.

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Originally published as ‘Maskless’ prison officer linked to Covid outbreak at Bathurst jail