Total coronavirus cases in prisons more than double in just one month, Labour comments

"These figures are very alarming. Rapidly rising coronavirus infections in prisons reflect the government's wider failure to get control of the virus.

"The lives of staff and inmates are at risk if these outbreaks are not controlled, and there is also a risk of transmission to the wider community.

"The Ministry of Justice should prioritise meeting its own targets to increase headroom across the prison estate. In addition, the government must urgently use the national lockdown to introduce an effective test, track and trace system across the country."

Ends

Notes to Editors

• 1,529 prisoners or children tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, across 99 establishments, almost all of whom were adults. The number of new monthly confirmed cases has increased by 883 since September 2020. 45 establishments had prisoners or children testing positive in October 2020.
• Five deaths of prisoners occurred in October 2020, the first deaths of service users since June 2020.
• Of the 55 deaths, 50 were suspected or confirmed to be caused by COVID-19, 28 were prisoners and 22 probation service users.