A Northern Territory Aboriginal legal service is calling for emergency measures to be enacted at the Alice Springs Correctional Centre as the number of prisoners infected with COVID-19 has doubled over the weekend.
More than 300 of the total prison population of 626 are now COVID-19 positive.
It's a sharp increase from the 154 cases among inmates recorded at 3pm on Friday.
Acting NT Correctional Services Commissioner David Thompson said this "significant rise" came after a health team was sent into the facility on Friday to test everyone using PCR tests instead of self-administered rapid antigen tests.
Mr Thompson said that, as at 8.30am on Monday, January 31, 302 prisoners at the Alice Springs Correctional Centre were in isolation, receiving medical support and supervision, after testing positive to COVID-19.
The Alice Springs Correctional Centre currently houses 626 prisoners, meaning 48 per cent of all inmates are now positive for COVID-19.
All of the prisoners who have tested positive are reportedly showing mild or no symptoms, which Acting Commissioner Thompson attributed to a high vaccination rate and "comprehensive" infection control measures in place.
According to Northern Territory government figures, 94 per cent of eligible prisoners have now had their first COVID-19 vaccine and 86 per cent were double-dosed.
Prison has 'processes in place'
Acting Commissioner Thompson said NT Correctional Services was working to limit the outbreak's impact on the court system.
"NT Correctional Services has a number of processes in place so prisoners can still access justice services, including RAT testing prior to court appearances and video or audio conferencing," he said.
"However, at times, there may be some delays if a prisoner has tested positive and is in medically supervised isolation."
The North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) is calling for an emergency response at the Alice Springs Correctional Centre, including the early or temporary release of prisoners, to manage the growing outbreak.
NAAJA principal legal officer David Woodroffe said the service was deeply concerned about the possible impact such a large number of cases could have on the prison's vulnerable population.
"When you've got a prison system that's already at over-capacity or close to over-capacity, with a COVID outbreak with nearly half of the entire prison population positive with COVID, and with whatever impact's it's had on its workforce, [that] is an emergency.
"When you're in such a situation as this, this really does require the government to be considering and enacting emergency legislation, for either the early release or the temporary release of prisoners."
Mr Woodroffe said the outbreak was causing delays to court appearances and a lot of anxiety among prisoners and their families, who had reportedly received limited information.
"It it is causing greater concern and alarm," he said.
"We have a lot of clients who are in the prison system who are worried, [and] our service is also being contacted by families out in the community, about their sons, about what is happening."
Government says outbreak 'well in hand'
NT Health Minister Natasha Fyles defended the government's response to the COVID-19 outbreak in the prison.
"We've sent in additional resources to help oversee and make sure all available public health measures are in place. Many, many of the people are just asymptomatic, so they're tested positive but no sign of the illness," she said.
"We certainly have been managing this [outbreak] with the strictest protocols.
"The situation is well in hand, right there."
Ms Fyles said there had been "conversations" about the measures corrections could enact to prevent further spread of the virus, but that there was currently no need to release prisoners early.
It's unknown how many of the prison's 127 staff are infected, with NT Correctional Services declining to provide the number for privacy reasons.
Under the NT's mandatory vaccination rules, corrections workers must be fully-vaccinated.
United Voice branch secretary Erina Early, who represents corrections officers, said workers were stretched as "more and more" returned positive results or needed to self-isolate after being identified as close contacts or developed symptoms.
"More and more officers have been contracting COVID or they're getting symptoms and have to go get tested so it's taking them off the floor," she said.
"The biggest thing with the officers is they're just depleted, they don't have the staffing.
"People are very, very fatigued."
