Manitoba Justice puts COVID-19 plan into place

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This article was published 02/03/2020 (2201 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As the number of COVID-19 cases in Canada continues to rise, plans are emerging for how Manitoba will handle the emerging health crisis.

A Manitoba Justice advisory issued Monday to the Winnipeg Police Service says prisoners who’ve travelled internationally in the last 14 days and are exhibiting flu symptoms, are not allowed into provincial custody centres until they have clear medical “documentation that confirms the absence of COVID-19 (coronavirus).

“These precautions are being implemented under the authority of Section 32 of the Correctional Services Act… effective immediately,” Todd Clarke, executive director of crime prevention, policing services and public safety with Manitoba Justice, said in the message to the WPS.

So far, there have been no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Manitoba.

A spokeswoman for Manitoba Justice said the move is based on the advice of medical professionals working in its correctional facilities and its responsibility to the health and safety of inmates in them.

“We do not accept individuals who are injured or intoxicated unless they have been medically cleared for admission, and similar provisions are in place to protect inmates from contagious diseases, including COVID-19,” she said in an email Monday.

Manitoba Justice processes nearly 20,000 admissions each year, and can have dozens of people moving through admissions areas on a daily basis, “Which means we have a heightened responsibility to protect inmates from known infections,” she said.

It is the responsibility of the admitting law enforcement agency to ensure necessary medical checks have been completed and, in the meantime, “The individual may stay in police custody or, if advised by medical professionals, taken to hospital,” the Manitoba Justice spokeswoman said.

WPS Const. Jay Murray said it would be “very extraordinary” to arrest someone who travelled internationally in the last 14 days, exhibits flu-like symptoms and have police oppose their release — the criteria set out by Manitoba Justice in its advisory.

“At this time, if we were to encounter a situation where all four criteria are met, we would treat the matter on a case-by-case basis until we receive further direction from Manitoba Justice,” Murray said in an email.

“This would be similar to a prisoner exhibiting any other type of illness or medical concern and often involves consultation with medical professionals.”

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca