On March 29, the Department of Corrections Sec. John Wetzel announced the agency has its first inmate with a positive test for COVID-19.
“An inmate at SCI Phoenix (Montgomery County) with underlying health conditions has tested positive for COVID-19,” Wetzel said. “The inmate is in the prison’s infirmary and is isolated from other inmates.”
SCI Phoenix, which opened in 2018, has special isolation rooms in its infirmary to handle such cases.
Inmates on the housing unit are now under quarantine. Both staff and inmates have been provided with appropriate personal protective equipment and are instructed to wear them on the impacted housing unit.
Officials continue to work closely with the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
Officials have traced this inmate’s interaction with other inmates and employees and are isolating impacted inmates to a specific housing unit. Employees who had contact with the inmate are being monitored for symptoms.
Wetzel said that increased cleaning throughout the prison, including of common areas and inmate cells, continues to take place. Inmates and employees also have been reminded to continue to frequently wash their hands, cover their coughs and sneezes and inform staff if they feel ill.
For the latest information on the coronavirus and precautions to take in Pennsylvania, visit the Department of Health’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) webpage, Follow them on Twitter, or Like them on Facebook.
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Helpful Links:
Responding To COVID-19 In Pennsylvania - General Resource Page All Topics
Attorney General - Coronavirus Price Gouging Updates
[Posted: March 29, 2020]
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