More than 70 prisoners isolating amid fresh Covid outbreak at HMP Grampian

More than 70 prisoners have been forced to isolate due to a Covid outbreak at HMP Grampian.

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has confirmed nearly two dozen prisoners at the Peterhead super jail have tested positive for coronavirus.

At present there are 21 confirmed cases among inmates, with 16 of those displaying symptoms and the other five remaining asymptomatic.

As a result, a total of 72 prisoners, including those who have tested positive, are currently isolating in a bid to prevent the spread of the virus.

To put the figures in context, HMP Grampian has a capacity of 474 prisoners, and usually holds around 450-460.

The outbreak led to disruption at Aberdeen Sheriff Court today, with a number of people who had been remanded in custody unable to appear either in person or via video link for sentencing.

It’s not the first time HMP Grampian has been hit by Covid.

In January, staff and inmates were affected in what was thought to be part of a wider outbreak at the Peterhead site, which involved 27 people testing positive between November 11 and then.

And in February, 40 prisoners were self-isolating when a wing of the prison was forced to go into lockdown.

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