Three correctional officers have tested positive for COVID-19 at a jail in Brampton in what has now been declared an outbreak by Peel Public Health.

The source of the infection was community transmission, according to Peel Public Health, and the officers were contagious while at work.

Some inmates at the Ontario Correctional Institute are now in medical isolation and rush testing is being done for inmates who have symptoms or who may have been in close contact with staff affected, according to the Ministry of the Solicitor-General and Peel Public Health.

Staff members who have been in contact with the officers who have tested positive are also being contacted.

Twelve symptomatic inmates have been quarantined, some in cells typically used for segregation, and several inmates were tested today for COVID-19, according to inmates at the facility.

The ministry said steps are being implemented to prevent the spread of the virus. These include conducting temperature checks on both inmates and staff, as well as carrying out enhanced cleaning, providing hand-sanitizer stations for staff, and making personal personal protective equipment, including masks, available to staff.

Correctional officers at the jail had previously complained about limited access to personal protective equipment and of being told they could not wear masks from home. On Thursday, their local union representative said that officers were being given personal protective equipment to wear when needed.

Inmates had continued to eat close together in a cafeteria until Wednesday, and, until Tuesday, were using recreational facilities together, according to inmates at the jail. On Thursday, they were served meals at their ranges, instead. Four to six inmates share rooms in a dorm-style setup, with beds about two feet apart, they said, which makes social-distancing impossible.

The jail is a treatment facility with rehabilitation programs for substance abuse and sexual offending.

Inmates who spoke to the Star expressed frustration with how they were being given information. They learned about the three officers who tested positive from watching Mayor Patrick Brown speaking on CP24 on Wednesday night. However, they said they continued to be told on Thursday morning that only one officer had tested positive.

Although Brown announced the latest positive test numbers on Wednesday night, the province and Peel Public Health only confirmed the information at 4:15 p.m. Thursday.

A total of four inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 in provincial jails. One case, at Monteith Correctional Complex, is no longer active, according to the province. The status of the three cases at the Toronto South Detention Centre is unclear. The first case was reported on March 25.

A total of five jail staff have tested positive for COVID-19: one at the Toronto South Detention Centre; one at the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre, and three at the Ontario Correctional Institute.

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