THUNDER BAY — More than two months after the Thunder Bay District Health Unit declared an outbreak of COVID-19 at the Thunder Bay District Jail, the outbreak is now considered to be over.
The TBDHU made the announcement Thursday.
OPSEU, the union that represents correcctional officers, says 45 of its members and at least 70 inmates became infected at various points during the outbreak.
The health unit said enhanced infection prevention and control measures will remain in place at the jail to mitigate the risk of new cases developing.
All incoming inmates will continue to be isolated upon arrival "to ensure any community-acquired cases do not spread," the TBDHU said in a news release.
However, the Section 22 Class Order that was issued on Feb. 9 has been rescinded.
The order required all individuals released from the jail to go directly to the local Isolation Shelter for assessment.
Aboriginal Legal Services, HIV and AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario, and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association criticized the TBDHU for the order earlier this week, saying it was unconstitutional and that it disproportionately affected marginalized people.
Caitlyn Kasper, a lawyer at Aboriginal Legal Services, said Indigenous people were being singled out for more restrictive public health measures, including forced testing and illegal detention.
"The rules for the rest of Thunder Bay residents are not nearly this excessive," she said.
