COVID-19 (Coronavirus): Information for Stakeholders
QCS is committed to keeping safe our corrective services facilities, our workforce and those in our care. In these challenging and constantly changing times, it remains one of our top priorities. This means minimising the risk of COVID-19 transmission wherever we can.
From Thursday 30 June 2022 1:00am the requirement for visitors entering a corrective services facility to provide a proof of vaccination has been removed. Visitors include:
- Personal visitors;
- Accredited visitors;
- Prescribed persons;
- Religious visitors;
- Official visitors;
- Elders;
- External stakeholders (ie. Legal practitioners, law clerks; commercial visitors);
- Professional visitors, including external service providers;
- Government visitors.
Vaccination requirements remain in place for staff members including an employee of Queensland Corrective Services, an engaged service provider, or a corrective services officer.
Restrictions remain in place from visiting a corrective services facility if you are a close contact or diagnosed person.
You cannot visit a corrective services facility if you:
- have COVID-19
- recently had COVID-19 and 7 full days has not passed since your isolation period ended (unless an exception applies to you)
- are a close contact and 7 full days has not passed from the COVID-19 test date (ie. the date the diagnosed person undertook the COVID-19 test) unless in exceptional or compassionate circumstances
- have recently had COVID-19 test and you are waiting to receive the results
- have COVID-19 symptoms.
Visitors to a corrective services facility must wear a face mask at all times while at indoor spaces and comply with requirements the facility or service has in place and follow any PPE or protective measures required.
For more information relating to QCS’ response to COVID-19 in all corrective services facilities, please click on the below links:
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Responding to COVID-19 in correctional |
What stage are correctional centres and |
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QCS operations and COVID-19
The global effort to combat COVID-19 is ongoing and many nations are feeling the effects of this pandemic. These are difficult and challenging times for all of us.
Queensland Corrective Services (QCS) continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our COVID-19 and Pandemic Response Planning Tools allow us to quickly and proportionally respond to any community outbreaks in accordance with health advice through a staged approach to restrictions, which may vary as required at any given time across different centres and community corrections offices. QCS strategies continue to be multifaceted, thoughtful, decisive, and responsive.
Our top priorities are the safety of all personnel, including officers and the people in our care, and the safe and secure operation of the correctional system.
QCS’ fundamental strategy has been to keep COVID-19 out of our prisons, and keep all people in our system safe, well, and free from harm. Throughout the pandemic, we have employed all possible strategies to isolate, contain and suppress any cases of COVID-19, to the greatest degree possible, in partnership with our colleagues at Queensland Health. Even as Queensland eases restrictions and we move towards this new phase of living with COVID-19 in the community, QCS continues to take a measured approach to reducing the spread of the virus within our centres.
Our QCS COVID-19 and Pandemic Response Planning tools allow for a staged and proportionate response, enabling different levels of restrictions to be in place in different locations as required to protect the health of all. These tools were developed in conjunction with Corrective Services Administrators Council (CSAC) and are implemented in conjunction with Queensland Health advice and with the support of the Chief Health Officer.
In line with the Custodial Operations three-level Pandemic Response Planning Tool, to reduce the risk of COVID-19 being introduced into a secure custody environment, new admission reception prisoners will be subject to:
- a temperature check and health checks as determined by Queensland Health personnel
- checking prisoners’ vaccination status
- offering prisoner vaccination if applicable.
Steps have also been taken by Community Corrections offices located throughout the state to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Officers have implemented temperature screening and social distancing and adopted alternative mechanisms to face to face meetings to manage offenders where appropriate. We work with external providers to maintain interventions and program delivery whenever possible. Our teams continue to work closely with Queensland Police Service, Queensland Health and local stakeholders to ensure community safety.
QCS’ COVID-19 response involves continuing to work effectively with the judiciary, and engaging with stakeholders, particularly the union, as well as prisoners, offenders and their family.
This page will be regularly updated with current information to assist all our partners and the community at large to understand how QCS is working to keep everyone as safe as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic.