Justice Sec confident Perth Prison covid outbreak is 'under control'

The Scottish Prison Service confirmed yesterday 117 positive tests have been detected, Tay News understands staff are also infected

Keith Brown
Author: Callum ClarkPublished 20th Jul 2021
Last updated 20th Jul 2021

The Justice Secretary says he's confident a coronavirus outbreak at Perth Prison is "under control".

Well over a hundred positive tests have been confirmed.

Tay News understands the figure includes staff as well as inmates, the Scottish Prison Service says a 'significant number' are asymptomatic.

Scottish government minister Keith Brown told Tay News: "Everything that can be done is being done, of course we've recently agreed we will try to vaccinate those who remain to be vaccinated in individual prisons, as one whole.

"Prison staff have got this very much under control working with NHS staff. They have people self-isolating.

"It's always possible in an enclosed environment like that to have these kind of outbreaks but we have the incident management team working very effectively in relation to that, we have mess testing going on as well."

The latest announcement from the Scottish Prison Service yesterday stated 117 positive tests have been detected.

The trade union POA has confirmed staff are included in this figure.

Every inmate has been forced into self-isolation, with communal areas like the gym off limits, as are family visits.

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