TWO Hunter prisons remain in lockdown on Monday as the state's jails attempt to staunch the spread of an outbreak that began in Parklea.
Shortland and Cessnock jails were locked down on Sunday, among 23 jails statewide that were closed as part of COVID-19 precautions.
"For the past 18 months, Corrective Services NSW has effectively managed COVID-19 risks and prevented transmission of the virus between inmates and staff in NSW prisons," a Corrective Services NSW spokeswoman said.
"But like hospitals, schools and police stations and with the significant number of cases in the community, and the transmissibility of the Delta strain, COVID-19 has now entered and impacted our correctional system."
A spokeswoman confirmed the Hunter jails remained under tightened restrictions on Monday morning.
A dozen inmates from Parklea Correctional Centre, who the department said were housed in the same wing and were not new arrivals, tested positive on Friday and Saturday..
The source of the infection remains under investigation.
The statewide precautions stem from the fact "inmates, who may have been exposed to the virus, were recently transferred to those prisons from Parklea Correctional Centre."
"All those inmates have been isolated and tested by Justice Health & Forensic Mental Health Network or COVID-19 as part of health protocols," the spokeswoman said.
"Corrective Services NSW is taking every precaution to protect staff and inmates, and prevent transmission of the virus."
Staff and inmates will undergo rapid antigen screening in a bid to bolster defences against the virus.
