OPSEU urges ‘active’ screening at jails

The Toronto Sun reports that the chair of OPSEU’s Corrections Division is demanding better screening at jail entrances after three staff members tested positive for COVID-19.

“One of the things that we need to have is active screening for all employees, all visitors and all inmates. If it is occurring, it’s occurring piecemeal,” Chris Jackel told The Sun.

Jackel said that hospitals have active screening, which means someone is asking people arriving pointed questions about the possibility they have COVID-19, or have been in contact with somebody who does.

Jackel praised government for keeping open lines of communication, but said Correctional Officers need more protections.

“We know in hospitals or long-term care facilities, if a nurse or a doctor or caregiver needs to breach that two-metre rule, we know that they are provided with (personal protection equipment) — masks, gowns, scrubs, whatever — that’s not the case for us.”