The Scarborough courthouse will be closed Monday after a person who works there began displaying symptoms consistent with COVID-19.

The Ministry of the Attorney General employee has not been to work since March 11, according to a memo from deputy Attorney General Irwin Glasberg obtained by the Star.

A memo from the province’s employee relations branch said the ministry became aware the employee was displaying symptoms on Saturday, March 21.

The Scarborough courthouse at 1911 Eglinton Street East “has recently undergone enhanced cleaning. We are closing the Scarborough Courthouse as a precaution to allow for a thorough cleaning and help reduce any potential risk of exposure to COVID-19,” the memo from the deputy Attorney General said.

No date was provided for when the courthouse would re-open.

The Ontario Court of Justice announced Friday that all family trials, criminal trials and preliminary inquiries between March 20 and May 29, 2020, are suspended unless a judge has ordered otherwise.

Bail hearings, in-custody pleas and urgent matters will continue but efforts are being made to do as much as possible remotely, according to a spokesperson for the court.

The London, Ont., courthouse remains closed for cleaning after being closed March 17, after two people, who are partners and who both work at the courthouse, tested positive for COVID-19. One person was last at the courthouse on March 10. The other was there until March 13.

A memo from Glasberg on Saturday said thorough cleaning is expected to be completed this week.

Meanwhile, advocates continue to call for the release of non-violent offenders, citing the devastating impact an outbreak in jails and prisons would have.

Defence lawyers are collecting old cellphones (with chargers) to be delivered to jails to allow prisoners to make phone calls more safely and cheaply than using the shared phones which only allow collect calls to landlines.

According to lawyer Reid Rusonik, the ministry will permit the use of these donated cellphones for free with the assistance of cellphone providers. The phones will be for phone calls only, no data. Sim cards need to be removed and the phones should be wiped of any information, sanitized and wrapped to avoid breaking.

Phones can be donated at the mailbox of the offices of Rusonik, O’Connor, Robbins, Ross & Angelini, 36 Lombard Street, suite 100 in Toronto (ground level) on weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

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