Prison officer dies amid huge coronavirus outbreak at Doncaster jail

A prison officer has died in the midst of a huge coronavirus outbreak at a Doncaster jail.
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Staff at HMP Lindholme have been dealing with nearly 100 cases among inmates at the prison, although the figure is now understood to be reducing.

It is not clear if the prison officer’s death is connected to the outbreak however, but a Prison Service spokesman confirmed the death earlier this month.

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A brief statement said: “A staff member at HMP Lindholme sadly passed away on 4 February 2021, and our deepest sympathies are with his loved ones and colleagues at this difficult time.”

HMP Lindholme.HMP Lindholme.
HMP Lindholme.

The officer has been named locally as Dave Wallis and a file is being prepared for the Doncaster Coroner.

In a series of tweets, the prison’s official Twitter account said there had been 90 Covid cases at the jail in recent weeks, but the figure had now halved.

It added: “Our fantastic health care staff have begun our vaccination program here at HMP Lindholme and vaccinated 12 residents yesterday identified as being in the first category of vaccinations in line with the community.

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“As part of our COVID control measures, we will be introducing Lateral Flow Testing for staff. This will enable us to respond quickly which will reduce the chance of any further positive cases. This will be an addition to our current control measures.”

The Category C jail has an operational capacity of more than 1,000 inmates and was first opened as a prison in 1985, replacing the former RAF Lindholme air base which stood on the site.

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