Coronavirus outbreak in York County prison increased to 54

The coronavirus outbreak in York County Jail has spread dramatically, and now includes 54 cases, including 35 inmates.

Over 80 tests are still being analyzed.

The number of cases confirmed in prison increased by 36 on Friday, and Sheriff William King received the results of the second universal test. King reported 18 cases early in the week.

All 54 cases are linked to a broader outbreak caused by a wedding reception 235 miles away at the Big Moose Inn in Millinocket. According to the Maine Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 123 people were directly or indirectly infected and one died from the wedding. Nine cases at the Maple Crest Rehabilitation Center in Madison are also associated with the outbreak.

The combination of wedding-related cases is by far the largest outbreak in the state in a pandemic.

State health officials said employees at York County Jail attended the wedding on August 7. The first positive test connected to prison was reported on August 19.

The prison case involved 16 corrective officers, 35 prisoners, 2 employees from a government building, and 1 Department of Health and Welfare employee assigned to the prison. King was expecting to receive another 35 test results at some point on Friday and about 50 on Saturday or Sunday.

Prior to the outbreak, prisons did not require prison guards or inmates to wear masks, King said.

Sheriffs said the prison would issue masks to both guards and inmates this spring, and the newly arrived inmates would also receive them. However, the prison previously required guards to wear those masks only when working with prisoners suspected of having the virus.

Otherwise, King said it was up to the individual to wear a mask. He didn’t know how many people wore masks before the outbreak, but said it wasn’t a “recurring event.”

Asked if the policy contributed to the rapid spread of the virus in prison, he said he didn’t think so.

“Some people might feel that, but do I feel it?” King said. “The hindsight is 20/20. I don’t think so. But that’s a fair question.”

Detainees and guards have to wear masks since the first positive test result returned last week. Public health officials say that covering the face can significantly reduce COVID-19 infections.

Governor of the Maine Janet Mills issued an administrative order in April requiring masks in all public places when physical distances were not possible. Governor Took time to strengthen that obligationIn July, she issued another order demanding that large corporations and other facilities in Maine’s most populous cities enforce the rules. The order includes York County.

Mr King said it was unclear whether the prison would meet its mission.

“I don’t know if it’s about a correctional facility,” King said. “They were issued masks, but I think we were doing our best to social distance before this outbreak.”

Emails to spokespersons and governors of the main CDC were not returned late Friday afternoon. It was not clear on Friday whether the other main prisons would need masks.

All virus-positive inmates were held in prison medical units. However, the number of positive cases is now so high that prison officials have turned regular units into temporary medical units.

Only two of the 35 prisoners with COVID-19 were symptomatic on Friday, Sheriff said. According to King, the total number of people in prison is 116, so the cases confirmed so far represent 30% of the population.

“It’s amazing to me,” King said of the number of asymptomatic prisoners.

Defense lawyer Amy Fairfield said the outbreak was a significant risk to her imprisoned clients, many of whom had health problems. Lawyers in her office are fighting to reduce bail for their vulnerable clients awaiting trial, but said they are not always successful.

“Very frankly, it’s scary,” Fairfield said. “I have a lot of clients suffering from health related issues.”

She said she was worried about the sheriff’s comments about the mask.

“It’s very easy,” she said. “Yeah, that’s annoying. I tried two days in the mask this week (in court) and it was tough. But paying in the short run is a very small price.

Due to the outbreak, 16 out of 40 prison staff were infected by the virus, making it difficult to place personnel in prison. The county was already understaffed due to vacancies. The budget requires 75 correction officers.

“It’s causing havoc with our staffing problems,” King said.

King spoke with the union representing the amended officer about allowing him to work in additional shifts. Currently, the maximum weekly time is 72 hours, but it could be mitigated on a case-by-case basis, he said. Beds in the prison wellness center are made available for orthotics to sleep between shifts instead of going home.

Prison staff are currently working on providing phone access to prisoners of the new medical unit, which is currently blocked. King said he wanted to reassure the prisoner’s family that his staff were doing everything they could to control the outbreak and care for the prisoners.

“I’m sure they are nervous because of their loved ones being imprisoned,” King said. “We do everything we can to make it as comfortable as possible (for prisoners), provide them with telephone access, and call them the ones they love.

Officers are represented by the National Association of Correction Workers. Bill Doyle, regional head of the association, said the union demanded a $3 risk per hour in light of the outbreak. The initial wage for officers is $16.80 per hour. The sheriff’s office denied the request.

“The staff are currently furious,” said Doyle. “They all feel overworked and undervalued. This is a long-standing staffing crisis due to departmental planning failures.”

Prisons and prisons were places of fatal outbreaks in other states, but Maine has reported so far Only a small number of cases in correctional facilities.. Four prisoners Tested positive In May at the Main Correction Center in Wyndham. Teenagers imprisoned at Long Creek Youth Development Center Positive reaction in June.. And three prisoners Tested positive In Cumberland County Jail in Portland in July. York County Jail Previously reported one case of inmate..

The main CDC continues to investigate the outbreak of the Millinocket wedding and keeps a close watch on the inn that hosted the reception.

On Tuesday, the main health authorities suspended the Big Moose Inn health license. On his return visit, it became clear that Inn was not yet in compliance with state guidelines for safe operation. The license was reopened on Friday after the inn owner Laurie Cormier corrected the public health hazard.

The inn was originally quoted for allowing more than 50 indoor gatherings at the reception. About 65 people attended the reception. Mask wear was also minimal, according to the main CDC.

In quotes from Wednesday’s date, a health inspector visiting that day said that Big Moose Inn employees weren’t wearing face coverings, the tables weren’t more than 6 feet apart, and said, “This extreme public health There was no social distance during the emergency of.”

“There are fatal consequences associated with uncontrolled rallies,” said Jeanne Lambreux of the Health and Welfare Services Commission on Thursday.

On Friday, health officials reported 22 new cases for COVID-19 However, there are no further deaths in individuals infected with the coronavirus. According to the CDC, new cases reported in prison on Friday are included in the Saturday number. To date, the main CDC report 4,436 confirmed or possible COVID-19 cases since the virus began to emerge in Maine in mid-March.

The number of individuals killed in Maine after the COVID-19 contract leveled off at 132 on Friday.

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