Three inmates test positive for COVID-19 at federal prison in B.C.

ABBOTSFORD, B.C. – The Correctional Service of Canada says three inmates at Fraser Valley Institution recently tested positive for COVID-19, though it does not say when they were tested or whether their infections remain active.

The service says in a news release an initial investigation shows the three inmates were part of a small group transferred from another region.

It says the group has been in medical isolation and closely monitored by staff since arriving at the women’s prison, which has multiple security levels.

It’s believed transmission of the illness occurred before they arrived.

The correctional service says contact tracing is ongoing and testing for COVID-19 is being offered, while visits to federal institutions in the Fraser Valley remain suspended.

There have been 122 other confirmed cases of COVID-19 at federal prisons in B.C. since the start of the pandemic, 120 of which were at Mission Institution, where the correctional service says one inmate died.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 23, 2020.