2nd inmate from South West Detention Centre dies in hospital this month

Ontario's Ministry of the Solicitor General is investigating a second death this month of an inmate from the South West Detention Centre in Windsor.

A ministry spokesperson told CBC News that an inmate was found in medical distress Tuesday night,was sent to hospital and later pronounced dead.

When an inmate dies in custody, multiple investigations are launched,including a death investigation bythe Office of the Chief Coroner,said the spokesperson.

In another incident this month, a ministry spokesperson saidparamedics brought an inmate from the jail to hospital on Dec. 7. The inmate died Dec. 18.

For both cases,noother details aroundcause of death were provided.

Ongoing outbreak

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit(WECHU) declared an outbreak at the facilityat the end of November, with Wednesday's data showing 24 cases linked to the centre.

During a media briefing Wednesday, WECHU CEO Nicole Dupuis had no updates about the outbreak. The health unit has been reluctant to release any information about the ongoing outbreak.

WECHUdefines an outbreak in this scenario as two or more employees testing positive for COVID-19 with reasonable time to suspect transmission in the workplace.

Last week, the ministry said it is aware of this outbreak, but did not link it to the deaths of either inmates.

The ministrysaid all new inmates are screened and tested for COVID-19, with their consent, upon arriving at any detention facility. They are also segregated for 14 days and tested again on Day 10.

Any inmate who tests positive is isolated and receivescare.

The ministry also has allocated COVID-19 vaccines that are available to inmates.

It says employees of detention centres who are not fully vaccinated must provide "regular" antigen testing.