Covid 19 hits portlaoise jail

There's an outbreak of Covid-19 in the biggest prison in the country.

Five inmates have tested positive in Midlands Prison in Portlaoise, and mass-testing is under way. There are over 800 prisoners in  the prison The Irish Prison Service confirmed five inmates have tested positive for Covid-19 in recent days - all are located in one area of the jail. They have all been isolated in line with infection control procedures. All other prisoners and staff in the prison are being tested as a precaution. The Irish Prison Service says it's working closely with the HSE and contact tracing is ongoing. An outbreak control team meeting has taken place to review the cases, and to prevent further spread of the virus. Prior to this outbreak, only five prisoners had tested positive for Covid in the country since the pandemic began.