FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - A Kentucky prison has been hit by hundreds of coronavirus cases, prompting action to separate inmates into housing units based on their health conditions to try to contain the outbreak.
Testing of inmates and staff at the Green River Correctional Complex revealed more than 300 additional virus cases, Gov. Andy Beshear said Tuesday. The prison accounted for nearly half the statewide total number of cases reported Tuesday, resulting in a one-day high for the state.
The fear at the prison was conveyed in a photo on the Lexington Herald-Leader’s website Tuesday. It showed a masked person holding a hand-made sign that read: “Please Governor Beshear, don’t let me die here at Green River of COVID-19.” The photo caption identified the person as an inmate.
Beshear called it a “concerning situation” as his administration takes steps to contain the virus’ spread at the western Kentucky prison. When factoring in previous coronavirus cases, the infection rate has reached about 40% at the prison, he said.
J. Michael Brown, secretary of Beshear’s executive Cabinet, said at least least two people at the prison have died from COVID-19. A third death last weekend is potentially virus-related, he said. Four people are hospitalized - two staff members and two inmates, he said.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky said Tuesday that the scope of the COVID-19 outbreak at the prison was “shocking,” and warned that the situation could be repeated in other lockups. The group called on state officials to drastically reduce incarcerated populations and put aggressive sanitation measures in place to keep inmates and staff safe.
“Detention should not be a death sentence,” ACLU-KY Legal Fellow Aaron Tucek said in a release.
To try to curb the virus, inmates are being divided into housing units based on their health status, Brown said.
Inmates testing positive will be housed in one unit to isolate them from the rest of the prison population, Brown said. Another separate unit will house inmates who tested negative but were exposed to someone who tested positive for the virus, he said. Those who tested negative and had no direct exposure to those with the virus will be housed in another unit. Those who are medically vulnerable, and thus at a greater risk of getting infected, will be housed in a unit, he said.
Tucek called the action a positive step, but said if the state had “taken this very reasonable measure weeks ago, Green River may not be facing such a serious outbreak.”
The first positive tests for the virus occurred in late March at the prison.
Meanwhile, Beshear reported 625 coronavirus cases statewide Tuesday. The total - inflated by the Green River cases - was easily a one-day high in Kentucky. That raised the statewide total to more than 5,820 cases since the pandemic began. Beshear reported 14 more virus-related deaths Tuesday, bringing the total death count to at least 275 in Kentucky. More than 2,050 people in Kentucky have recovered from the virus, he said.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up within weeks. For some, especially older adults and those with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, even death.
Beshear defended his plans for phased reopenings of businesses, factories and churches this month despite the sudden one-day spike in coronavirus cases.
The governor pointed to increased statewide testing for the virus as a reason for his confidence. The state achieved a big breakthrough by increasing its supplies of swabs needed for testing, he said.
“Now it looks like we have both significant amounts of swabs coming from the federal government, which I am grateful,” Beshear said. “That’s something that has opened up. And we also believe we may have had a breakthrough in how to manufacture swabs.”
Beshear said he’s monitoring the number of virus cases but added: “In the general population, we believe right now it’s at a level where, if we take all these precautions, we can do this safely.”
But he added: “I’m not going to be afraid to pause things if we believe that we’re not ready, or the situation is dangerous.”
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