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Northern State Cleared of all Outbreak Protocols

Waterbury, VT – Northern State Correctional Facility (NSCF) in Newport is clear of Covid outbreak response and is back to standard modified operations, the Vermont Department of Corrections (Vermont DOC) announced Tuesday. This full status change is the result of testing conducted Thursday, April 15, in which no incarcerated individuals tested positive for the fifth consecutive time.

There are currently zero positive incarcerated cases and three positive staff cases at the facility. One of the positive staff cases was detected in the April 15 testing; contact tracing showed no exposure risk to the incarcerated population.

“We are thankful the Vermont Department of Health has cleared us from all outbreak protocols,” said Commissioner Jim Baker. “We are thankful there was not serious illness, and we do not take that fact for granted. Our team on the ground at NSCF, under the leadership of Superintendent Scott Martin, our medical staff, and our Rapid Response Team have worked tirelessly since February to get this outbreak under control.”

The outbreak began after one staff member and 21 incarcerated individuals tested positive for the virus in testing conducted February 23, 2021. A total of 179 incarcerated individuals tested positive during the outbreak. As of Tuesday, a total of three staff and one incarcerated individual statewide are positive for the virus.

Families and friends of incarcerated individuals are encouraged to reach out to the Vermont DOC Office of Constituency Services with questions: https://doc.vermont.gov/information-inmate-families-and-friends. Click here for the direct link to the online Friends and Family portal.

Daily updates on the COVID-19 response in Vermont’s correctional facilities can be found at https://doc.vermont.gov/covid-19-information-page

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