PRISON authorities are scrambling to contain a coronavirus outbreak, which has escalated to 22 cases in the two days since it was discovered. 

The first positive case was detected at the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC) on Saturday (May 7), two days later positive case numbers had risen to 22.

ACT Corrections Commissioner Ray Johnson said in an email to charity and bureaucratic stakeholders – including the ACT Human Rights Commissioner Helen Watchirs – that the detainee who first tested positive on Saturday is now isolating for 14 days.

All neighbouring detainees were tested and: “arising from that testing, today (May 9) a further 21 detainees have been found to have tested positive to covid,” Mr Johnson said.

Mr Johnson warned that “more” positive cases may become known following further testing.

He also admitted to staff being impacted as a result of the outbreak.

“Some of whom are now deemed contacts of various degrees, and we are currently assessing the impact on staffing levels in the short term,” said Mr Johnson.

Indigenous health leader Julie Tongs, who had called for COVID-19 vaccinations to be mandatory for all prison officers in the AMC, described the outbreak as “concerning” given the prisoners’ close proximity to each other.

“It could potentially be another ‘Ruby Princess’,” Ms Tongs said.

Ms Tongs, the CEO of Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Service, first called on the ACT government to do everything within its power to ensure all detainees were protected from the risk of contracting the virus when the pandemic began.

The ACT government made it mandatory for primary school teachers and early childhood educators, disability support workers and in-home and community aged care workers to be fully vaccinated, but not prison staff.

“I find it contradictory that security guards at the hospital had to be vaccinated but security guards at the jail didn’t,” Ms Tongs said.

“Everybody needs to be vaccinated especially those staff who are working closely with vulnerable clients.

“The more we can do to protect them and the people they are working with, the better…but who knows how far across the prison it has spread.”