A Covid-infected prison officer who went to work for four days with symptoms of the virus has been linked to a growing outbreak at a regional jail.
The officer from Bathurst Prison in NSW's central west went to work for four days while symptomatic, sources at the jail told The Daily Telegraph.
Eleven people at the prison have been forced into isolation after being exposed to the virus.
The Prison Officers Vocational Branch union said the officer was following protocol at the jail and returned two negative Covid-19 tests before the third came back positive.
A Bathurst prison officer has been linked to a Covid outbreak in NSW prisons. Pictured is Bathurst Prison in the state's central tablelands
The union's chair Nicole Jess said the officer had not intentionally gone to work unwell.
She said he had been wearing a mask while escorting a Covid-positive inmate but the mask got wet due to the rain and became 'ineffective'.
'He had followed the protocols set down by the command post, including isolating and getting tested,' Ms Jess said.
'He had mild symptoms, but had had two negative Covid-19 tests and so returned to work.'
When his symptoms worsened, he got a third test that came back positive.
His infection follows reports last week that the state's Department of Community and Justice was considering making Covid-19 vaccinations compulsory, prompting backlash from anti-vaxxer staff wanting to fight the proposal.
Anti-vaxxers have called on other officers to join their campaign on 'how we might deal with the upcoming vaccine mandate' in a message on Telegram Messenger.
'Here we can discuss our issue with privacy and without being accused of misusing departmental email systems,' one member of the campaign wrote.
The officer went to work with mild symptoms after returning two negative tests before a third came back as positive
The infection follows Department of Community and Justice looking into making vaccines compulsory in prisons, prompting backlash from anti-vaxxer staff
Inmates have also been transferred out of Parklea jail to isolate them due to a Covid outbreak leads to a temporary lockdown of multiple prisons.
At least 112 people in Sydney prisons tested positive to the virus on Tuesday, including over 60 at Parklea jail.
Prison authorities have suggested using the minimum security Dawn De Loas correctional centre to accommodate inmates who need to be put into self-isolation.
These ideas were soon abandoned when the union raised concerns about its lack of security.
