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OTTAWA — Two inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 at a maximum-security prison in Quebec, the first confirmed cases involving prisoners in a federal institution.

The Correctional Service of Canada says that prior to the two inmates being diagnosed, nine employees who work at Port-Cartier Institution also tested positive for the virus.

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The service says in a news release all of these employees are in isolation at home and are following direction from local health officials.

It says as soon as a positive result was reported for one employee last week, additional people were tested based on public-health contact tracing, which led to detection of the other cases.

As of Saturday, 50 tests were conducted on inmates in institutions, with 45 negative and two positive results and three others pending.

The two infected inmates are being medically isolated from the general prison population and the institution has been on lockdown as a precautionary measure.