Covid: Lowdham Grange inmates confined to cells as cases rise

There are currently 875 prisoners and 500 staff at Lowdham Grange

Inmates are being held in cells for all but 30 minutes a day at a jail where Covid cases have risen to 84.

Nottinghamshire's public health director Jonathan Gribbin has said prisoners at HMP Lowdham Grange have all been issued face masks and mobile testing units were on site.

Mr Gribbin said the prison accounted for an increase in cases in the Newark and Sherwood district.

The prison director said "every measure possible" was being taken.

Jonathan Gribbin said prison infections could be contributing to an increase in cases in other parts of the county

Mr Gribbin said: "We have seen rates in Newark and Sherwood have surged over the last 10 days or so. The situation in Lowdham Grange prison is a significant driver of those rates locally."

With 63 prisoners and 21 staff members testing positive, Mr Gribbin said workers could also be contributing to an increase in cases in other parts of the county.

The seven-day infection rate per 100,000 people in the Newark and Sherwood district up to 28 September was 85, up from 34.3.

A total of 104 cases in the district have been recorded, up from 42 the week before.

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Prison director Mark Hanson said they were working with Public Health England, the NHS and the council "to look after everyone in the prison and we are taking every measure possible to keep them safe, maintain their mental wellbeing and combat the virus".

He added there was "an enhanced cleaning plan in place" with "a programme to test every prisoner for Covid now under way".

Mr Hanson said the healthcare team was able to call the prisoners on their in-cell phones and those who have tested positive were "receiving further personal care and support as appropriate".

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