One wing of HMP Durham has had to be locked down due to spiralling Covid cases, a spokesperson for the Prison Service has said.
The Ministry of Justice confirmed that one wing is locked down but 'prisoners retain access to exercise and showers.'
Today, the UK broke the record again for the second day in a row for the highest number of confirmed Covid cases since the pandemic started with figures hitting an all time high of 88,376.
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A Prison Service spokesperson said: “We have taken precautionary measures at HMP Durham in line with public health guidance, and will continue to closely monitor the situation.”
“We continue to work closely with health to do testing and vaccinations for prisoners and all staff are encouraged to complete weekly PCR and lateral flow testing.”
Guidance:
• Staff dealing with Covid-infected prisoners have access to full PPE.
• If a prisoner tests positive during routine testing, they have to self-isolate in line with public health advice. No prisoner who has tested positive would be subsequently placed in a shared cell.
• Every prisoner at HMP Durham has been offered the Covid-19 vaccine.
• More information on how we’re managing the pandemic in prisons can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/managing-the-pandemic-in- prisons
• The latest figures on coronavirus cases in prisons are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hm-prison-and-probation-service-covid-19-statistics-monthly
