The Alexander Maconochie Centre has been hit by a COVID outbreak. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
There has been an outbreak of COVID-19 cases among detainees at Canberra’s jail this month.
An ACT Corrective Services spokesperson confirmed “there are currently a number of COVID-19 cases” in the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC).
As of Wednesday (26 June), 34 positive cases have been detected in the prison.
“As a result, two accommodation units have been temporarily isolated. At this stage, all other accommodation units will continue to run as normal,” the spokesperson said.
The AMC’s medical and nursing services are provided by Justice Health Services, which the spokesperson said are well-equipped to manage this outbreak and are supported by resources from the Canberra Hospital.
“We actively encourage COVID-19 vaccinations among detainees and these vaccinations can be facilitated by Justice Health staff for those detainees who request it,” the Corrective Services spokesperson said.
“Detainees who have tested positive or are within the isolated accommodation areas are still able to attend scheduled visits and court appearances via audio-visual links.
“The AMC has well-established infection prevention, control and management procedures for responding to COVID-19 infections, which aim to mitigate the spread of COVID whilst limiting impacts on the operation of the facility.”
The spokesperson also said Chief Justice Lucy McCallum had indicated that any defendant getting arraigned from the isolated areas of the AMC will be rescheduled.
All other court matters with affected defendants will be assessed on a case-by-case basis as to whether they can proceed by way of a remote appearance; otherwise, court appearances will progress as usual.
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