34 inmates, nine staff with COVID at local remand centre

By COLLIN GALLANT on February 10, 2022.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant

An outbreak of COVID-19 has been declared at the Medicine Hat Remand Centre.

Alberta Health Services confirmed late Wednesday that 34 inmates have been diagnosed with the respiratory disease as well as eight members of the corrections staff. All were reporting “mild, if any” symptoms.

Provincial Court proceedings in Medicine Hat slowed during the mid-morning Wednesday as guards informed court officers they would be unable to bring those being held in custody to appear on a closed-circuit TV monitor.

That has been standard procedure, rather than in-person appearances, since new rules to generally address the fifth COVID wave were enacted in courts across the province. In many instances over the past month, appearances have been waived.

The News could not confirm with Alberta Justice how many inmates are currently at the remand centre.

Health officials said the prison is under facility-wide outbreak protocols, thereby isolating positive cases, restricting movement between units and providing an assessment regimen.

All inmates are assessed at least once per day, according to AHS. The outbreak was originally declared on Jan. 25.