HMP Perth staff accused of not following Covid-19 guidelines despite prisoner testing positive for virus

Staff at HMP Perth have been accused of not following the proper lockdown guidance after a prisoner tested positive for the virus.

It has been claimed staff at the high security prison have not been practising social distancing guidelines, potetnially putting themselves and the prisoners at risk.

One woman, who has a family member in the maximum security prison and who did not want to be named, made the claims after the prison confirmed one of its inmates had tested positive for coronavirus.

The woman said: “The prison officers are not practising social distancing, and now there is someone in there with the virus.

“When they are bringing in remand prisoners from outside, they are putting them in with the rest of the prisoners who have been in lockdown for a while.

“It is a disaster waiting to happen.

“Staff are not wearing masks or gloves and are going home and then coming back in, which is a direct risk to the prisoners.

“It is ridiculous given the levels of social distancing we are supposed to be practising during the lockdown.”

The concerned member of the public continued: “If any more people there test positive, it will be the fault of the staff because they are the people who are not doing it properly.”

Prisons have been particularly stretched since the coronavirus outbreak, with staff absences throughout the pandemic putting pressure on those at work.

It was revealed at the start of April almost a quarter of Scottish Prison Service staff had been absent from work during the coronavirus lockdown.

But, despite the staff shortages in some prisons, a Scottish Prison Service spokesman said they were following all relevant government guidelines, including those pertaining to the need for social distancing.

He said: “Every effort is being made to ensure social distance measures are being done.

“That message is being reinforced with both staff and prisoners.

“We have followed the guidance in providing health staff with the appropriate PPE – but not everyone necessarily needs PPE.

“There are eight confirmed cases across the whole estate and we know there are people with suspected coronavirus who are demonstrating symptoms, but have not had a clinical diagnosis.”