NINE days after indigenous health leader Julie Tongs called for COVID-19 vaccinations to be mandatory for prison staff, ACT Health confirms a staff member from the Alexander Maconochie Centre has tested positive to covid.

The prison is in full lockdown today. “CityNews” has also been told that possibly as many as eight inmates, who have tested positive to covid, have been held in isolation at the AMC. There are believed to be five active cases currently in isolation at the prison.

“CityNews” requested confirmation and comment from Corrections Minister Mick Gentleman’s office but was passed on to the Justice and Community Safety Directorate. The Justice and Community Safety Directorate passed us on to the ACT COVID-19 Public Information Coordination Centre.

An ACT COVID-19 Public Information Coordination Centre spokeswoman would not confirm any cases over the phone, but in an email to “CityNews” revealed that ACT Health was today (September 30) advised that a COVID-19 case had attended the Alexander Maconochie Centre on multiple days this week.

“This case was not a detainee,” the spokeswoman said.

At the ACT covid press conference today ACT Health confirmed the person is a staff member and is fully vaccinated.

She said ACT Health is undertaking urgent risk assessments in conjunction with ACT Corrective Services.

“Staff have been provided all information currently available to ACT Health and ACT Corrective Services and will continue to be kept informed as more information comes to light,” she said.

“ACT Corrective Services has detailed response plans in place to support positive COVID-19 cases in the facility.

“The safety of our staff and detainees remains our first priority.”

Last week, Ms Tongs, the CEO of Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Service, said it was critically important that COVID-19 be kept out of the AMC and that an excess of caution must therefore be employed to ensure the virus is not allowed to spread through the prison population.

The lives of detainees were at heightened risk because of the generally poor health status, which many of them endure, she said.

“In addition their risk of developing COVID-19 now that there are positive cases in the prison is exacerbated because inmates are physically constrained and cannot necessarily either socially distance or avoid contact with spaces or other people, whether fellow detainees or prison officers, who may be infected with the virus,” she said.

“It was therefore vital all detainees be immediately vaccinated.”

At the time of Ms Tongs’ calls a spokeswoman from the ACT COVID-19 Public Information Coordination Centre said all correctional officers at the Alexander Maconochie Centre were eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine under phase 1B of the rollout.

While officers were encouraged to be vaccinated at an ACT government clinic or through a participating general practice, she said vaccinations were voluntary, but strongly encouraged.

The spokeswoman could not provide any data revealing how many prison officers or prison staff were vaccinated and said any information would only be based on the officers self-reporting.