Coronavirus: Mother slams PPE supply after prison officer death

The mother of a prison officer who died after contracting coronavirus has criticised the lack of personal protective equipment for key workers.

Rachael Yates, 33, an asthmatic, had worked at Usk Prison in Monmouthshire for about 18 months before she died on 21 April.

Her mother Julie Jacques said the family's "light has been taken away".

Prison officers formed a guard of honour at Usk Prison for Rachael's coffin before her funeral on Friday.

The Prison Service said its deepest sympathies were with her loved ones and colleagues.

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The Ministry of Justice said there were "robust and flexible" plans in place to protect staff, with prisons working with public health and NHS services.

"Personal protective equipment is being provided to officers and all prisons have the soap and cleaning materials they need," a spokesman said.

Rachael Yates was the first prison officer in Wales to die with Covid-19

Mrs Jacques said Rachael had "loved" working at Usk Prison, but criticised the lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) for key workers.

She said: "We must worry and care about our key workers, because these prison officers, along with many other people, never had any protection.

"And because of this I've lost my daughter at 33."

Mrs Jacques added: "She [Rachael] said they were very careful with what they were doing in the prison.

"But like our nurses and doctors, they haven't got all they need and they should have it at their fingertips."

Mrs Jacques also said she believed Wales and the rest of the UK had been too slow to enter lockdown.

Rachael Yates' funeral cortege passes Usk Prison, where she used to work.

She said Rachael, who had previously worked in Usk Post Office, had known she was vulnerable due to her asthma.

'Loved her job'

"But she loved her job so much she never wanted to let anybody down," Mrs Jacques added.

"So, even if I'd said to her don't go to work, she would have said, 'mum, I'm going'."

Mrs Jacques said "the worst thing of all" was that the family had been unable to say goodbye to Rachael after she fell ill.

She added: "I just want people to be aware that this can happen to anybody, and they must remember social distancing. We should never be having these problems in our world in 2020".

On Tuesday, Public Health England said more than 2,000 prisoners may have been infected across jails in England and Wales.

Rachael Yates had worked at Usk Prison in Monmouthshire for about 18 months

Speaking about her daughter, Mrs Jacques said: "She was, and still is, the best ever daughter.

"Everybody loved her, and now the light's been taken from us. She was my best friend, not just my daughter."

Rachael lived in Sebastopol, Torfaen, for a short period prior to her death but her family said Usk was "dear to her heart".

A hearse for her funeral drove past Usk's Twyn Square on Friday before passing the town's prison for a guard of honour.

It then drove through the town and passed the former post office before the funeral. She was later due to be taken by horse-drawn carriage to St Woolos Cemetery in Newport.

As there can only be 10 people at her funeral due to social distancing guidelines, her family asked people to line the streets and clap as her hearse passed Twyn Square, while observing social distancing.