Ongoing COVID-19 outbreak in Fulton County Prison

Fulton County — Approximately 38 prisoners and nine personnel in Fulton County Prison tested positive for COVID-19, which is part of an ongoing coronavirus outbreak at the facility over the past two weeks.

The outbreak occurs when Fulton County remains the lowest percentage of vaccinated residents among the six predominantly rural counties in the Mohawk Valley region. As of Friday, 27.3% of Fulton County residents, or about 14,639, have been vaccinated at least once with the COVID-19 vaccine. It ranks fifth from the bottom of the 62 counties in New York, with the population-centered Bronx county being the worst at 26.5. % Of the population was vaccinated, for a total of 379,203.

Fulton County Sheriff Richard Giardino said all of the county’s deputy sheriffs and orthodontic staff were given the COVID-19 vaccine about two months ago, but more than half refused to inject it.

“I can’t tell people to be tested, and I can’t tell people to be vaccinated,” Giardino said. “Under state obligations, they are in a collective facility, so when we have it, all prisoners will be vaccinated. When we get their batch, it Anyone who wants. When I provided the test, not everyone was tested, and when I provided the vaccine, not everyone was vaccinated. Prison and security office It can be said that less than 50% of all employees in Japan have been vaccinated. “

According to Giardino, Fulton County Prison managed to avoid a case of COVID-19 in 2020, but when prisoners complaining of COVID-19 were tested positive for the virus, a lucky streak was in March. It ended on the 26th.

“He didn’t ask [to be tested], I tested him according to the protocol, “said Giardino. “Our prison director contacted our health care provider. The health care provider and an individual on his team came here and worked with the nurses in the health care unit within four hours of the first positive. , 99 people were tested. Some people refused the test. It’s their privilege. “

According to Giardino, when the COVID-19 test results returned, the prison had three positive staff and about 16 positive prisoners.

“The prison was closed after the first prison … everything was doubly cleaned,” Giardino said. “We have eliminated the weekend ruling for the time being to eliminate people who can leave the facility at the end of the sentence and to eliminate the possibility of more COVID-19 invading the facility. “

Fulton County Prison staff were also required to wear a N95 breathing mask during their duties, and the prison quarantined cases of COVID-19 together and sought to keep them away from non-positive prisoners.

However, prison blockades did not prevent the virus from effectively doubling the number of positive cases in 38 prisoners and 9 employees in the last two weeks.

Giardino has said that so far 13 COVID-positive prisoners have recovered from the virus and are no longer symptomatic. Two of the nine COVID-positive staff cleared their symptoms and returned to work.

Giardino said Fulton County wasn’t the only one struggling to deal with the outbreak of COVID-19 prisons. “Schenectady has occurred and Saratoga has occurred. These are just situations,” he said.

Janine Kaba, Director of Public Relations for the State Criminal Justice Department, said on Friday that all known COVID-19-positive cases in county prison inmates since the state began tracking these numbers in late March 2020. The chart was provided to the Daily Gazette. The chart does not include currently active cases.

As of Wednesday, there were a total of 3,448 COVID-positive cases across the state among prisoners, killing four. State-wide numbers were worse for prison correction staff, with 3,982 COVID-positive cases and 13 deaths.

Fulton County currently has the second highest number of COVID inmates among the six rural counties in Mohawk Valley, with only 48 in Oneida County Prison. last year. There were no deaths of Oneida County officials or prisoners.

In Saratoga County, east of Fulton County, there have been 111 cases of COVID-19 infections in prisons and 33 cases of orthodontic staff in the past year with no deaths.

In Schenectady County, there were 18 positive cases in prison and 55 positive cases in orthodontic staff, neither of whom died. In Albany County, 148 county prison inmates were positive, with 105 employees, neither of whom died.

The New York state prison system made it even worse. As of Thursday, a total of 6,421 prisoners in state prisons had been COVID-19-positive in the past year, 35 of whom died, according to data from the State Corrections Bureau and the Regional Supervisory Authority.

According to Giardino, there were “a few” positive cases between deputy sheriffs in Fulton County in 2020, but none before the outbreak in prison on March 26.

“We have worked with healthcare professionals and staff, but neither can isolate patient zero. They may be asymptomatic and do not always show symptoms first. “He said. “All the prisoners we got from Herkimer and Saratoga were tested before we got them and they were negative. Otherwise, we couldn’t accept them. Let’s say, the state prison wouldn’t have taken them. “

New prisoners living in Fulton County do not need to be inspected, according to Giardino, but are quarantined 24 hours a day when they first enter the facility. He said in 2020, the closure of the court system reduced the total number of prisoners in Fulton County to about 40, but returned to 120 after the court reopened. As of Friday, he said there were 99 prisoners and 60 prison personnel in Fulton County. Seven became ill with COVID-19. He said he expects more vaccines available to prisoners early next week.

Michael Deming, a Gloversville resident who tested negative for COVID-19, is a prisoner in Fulton County Prison. He contacted The Daily Gazette Friday via a collect call from prison.

Mr Deming said he had been a prisoner for the past two weeks because he skipped an arrest warrant on a drunk driving decision.

He argued that some prison officers did not always wear proper contaminated clothing. “I had to complain because one cop came out of the contaminated unit and sat at the desk and started typing without disengaging,” he said.

Giardino said he believes that all prison staff follow all of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and the guidelines issued by the State of New York. Due to space limitations in Fulton County Prison, he said it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to contain the COVID-19 outbreak.

Deming said he was given the COVID-19 vaccine after the outbreak, but refused because he was concerned about potential side effects. “I’ve heard that vaccines have many problems,” he said. “They provided vaccinations to some of us, but I refused, as most did.”

In nearby Montgomery County, no prisoners have tested positive for COVID-19 since the outbreak of the pandemic. In addition, 35.5% of the county’s population, or 17,536, have been vaccinated with at least one COVID-19 vaccine. It is less than 36%. Percentage of New Yorkers who have been vaccinated at least once.

Montgomery County Sheriff Jeff Smith said five prison officers in his county prison had been positive in the past year and had one dispatcher. He said he believed that his prison avoided the outbreak of COVID-19 by adhering to strict safety protocols and because it has a special cell for accepting new prisoners. ..

“When prisoners came in, they were put into our positive pressure cell and quarantined for 14 days before being allowed around the general public, unless the prisoners were from another county. That is, they have already taken a negative test, Smith said.

However, Smith admits that he is having a hard time convincing staff and prisoners to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

“We had multiple opportunities to get the vaccine and provided it to all staff each time, which is about 50% on all sides of the building,” Smith said. “The feedback I’ve heard is that people are just nervous about it. They don’t believe it. They think it’s like a flu vaccine. I people I advise you to do that, but I know it’s a personal decision. In the facility type environment we work in, it’s best to protect us all. I thought it was, and only about half felt it comfortable. I took it. “

Giardino does not say whether he has been vaccinated with COVID-19. He said he warned staff by email each time a vaccine was available, but he doesn’t think it’s his place to insist that people get the vaccine. He said he had nine COVID-19 tests and four viral antibody tests, but all tests returned negative.

“I don’t think it matters if I’ve been vaccinated,” Giardino said. “I think it’s the person’s own decision between them and their doctor.”

Smith said on Friday that the Montgomery County Public Health Department had obtained several COVID-19 vaccines and provided them to 77 prisoners. He said 23 of them agreed to take a shot.

“And it was offered to all prisoners, and only 23 received it,” he said.

category: Fulton Montgomery Show Harry, news