Fifteen corrections officers test positive at federal prison in Quebec

Quebec continues to break COVID-19 records Quebec is reporting 14,188 new COVID-19 infections as hospitalizations increase by 135.

MONTREAL — A COVID-19 outbreak at a federal prison in Quebec has seen 15 staff members and four inmates test positive for the novel coronavirus.

Correctional Services Canada revealed the infections at the medium-security La Macaza Institution in a statement this morning.

It isn't immediately clear what impact the staff infections are having on the facility, which is located about 200 kilometres northwest of Montreal in the Laurentian Mountains.

That includes whether reinforcements will be needed to ensure enough staff at the prison, which houses about 240 inmates.

However, Correctional Services says all in-person visits have been temporarily suspended and that measures are being taken to minimize the spread of COVID-19 through the facility.

Correctional Services is expected to provide an update on inmate infections across the rest of Canada later today.

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Dec. 30, 2021.