Department of Corrections Reports First Case of COVID-19
Harrisburg, PA – Department of Corrections Sec. John Wetzel today announced that 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.”
News Talk 104.1 has confirmed with the Department of Corrections the inmate who has tested positive was not transferred from another facility.
The practice of inmate transfers has been met with calls by Congressman Fred Keller and Federal Bureau of Prisons officials to cease immediately.
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.
Find the latest information on the DOC’s COVID-19 efforts here.
Find the latest information on the coronavirus here.
