A NUMBER of inmates at HMP Portland have contracted Covid-19 and currently self-isolating, the prison service has confirmed.

The Ministry of Justice confirmed today (August 13) that seven prisoners have tested positive for Covid-19 with precautions being carried out.

HMP Portland, which houses male prisoners and young offenders, has around 500 serving inmates. Dorset Echo understands that infected inmates are currently self-isolating in a single cell.

A spokeswoman for Ministry of Justice said: “Our priority is to limit the spread of the virus and protect the lives of those who live and work in our prisons.

“We have taken precautionary measures at HMP/YOI Portland in line with public health guidance, and will continue to closely monitor the situation.”

It is not known how many prisoners or prison officers are self-isolating as a result of close contact with the infected inmates.

A number of precautions are being carried out at the prison, including wearing masks or face coverings in outbreak sites.

If a prisoner tests positive during routine testing, they have to self-isolate in line with public health advice. No prisoner who has tested positive would be subsequently placed in a shared cell.

The latest government data shows cases per 100,000 people in Dorset rose by 9.28 per cent, from 280 to 306.

In the seven days up to Sunday, August 8, 33 coronavirus cases have been reported in the Underhill & The Grove area, where HMP Portland is based.