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<p>The safety of our staff and those in our care remains our top priority and when
responding to Covid-19 we have worked closely with Public Health England and been
guided by their advice. Closed settings such as prisons pose particular challenges
in managing outbreaks, but we have well-developed policies and procedures in place
to manage outbreaks and infectious diseases, including COVID-19. This means prisons
are well prepared to take immediate action whenever cases or suspected cases are identified.</p><p>One
of the range of measures HMPPS is taking to limit the spread of the virus in prisons
and save lives is to compartmentalise prisoners. This requires establishments to introduce
isolation units for the symptomatic, shielding units for the vulnerable, and reverse
cohorting to quarantine new arrivals. Social distancing and basic hygiene are also
effective controls to reduce transmission and we continue to provide access to the
right cleaning and hygiene products in prisons. Other measures have included adapting
prison regimes to support social distancing and PPE usage, and expanding the estate
with new temporary units.</p><p>We have started to rollout regular testing for frontline
staff which means we can identify positive cases earlier and will be able to minimise
the spread of outbreaks. HMMPS is also rolling out testing for prisoners on reception
and transfer.</p><p>We continue to work closely with PHE to develop and refine our
response to the pandemic.</p>
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