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They’re some of the worst so-called petri dishes for COVID-19: prisons and jails, where health outcomes are already poor and physical distancing is next to impossible.

But while COVID-19 wreaks havoc in correctional facilities around the world, Alberta still has zero confirmed cases in its provincial jails or federal prisons, five weeks after the province declared a public health emergency.

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tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or COVID-19 has — so far — been kept out of Alberta jails and prisons Back to video

Experts who spoke to Postmedia say it’s tough to pinpoint why that’s the case, but attributed at least part of Alberta’s good fortune thus far to planning and a healthy dose of luck.

Inmates and corrections staff are particularly at risk when it comes to COVID-19, and jails have been the site of some of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in North America.

New York State, one of the jurisdictions hardest hit by COVID-19, had 1,192 confirmed cases and 13 deaths in its corrections system as of Thursday. Of those 894 were staff, while 298 were prisoners or parolees.