‘You can’t let your guard down’: Why COVID-19 has prison doctors worried
An outbreak in NSW prisons seems to be under control, but it could spiral very quickly, warns Associate Professor Penny Abbott
“Locking down is a great way to stop the spread of COVID-19, but it’s a miserable way to live.”
Associate Professor Penny Abbott isn’t talking about the public health orders that have ruled our lives in recent weeks; she is talking about prison lockdowns.
Last month, the entire prison system in NSW was forced into lockdown after a dozen COVID-19 cases were detected among prisoners and correctional officers at Sydney’s Parklea Correctional Centre and the Bathurst Correctional Complex.
Although most facilities have since reopened, the situation at Parklea and Bathurst has worsened, where some 170 positive cases have now been recorded.
