Waterbury, VT – Nine additional incarcerated individuals at Northeast Correctional Complex (NECC) in St. Johnsbury have tested positive for COVID-19. With a total of 16 positives, the situation is now considered an outbreak. The facility has been on full lockdown since October 31.
The COVID-positive incarcerated individuals live in three adjacent housing units. The first case was detected through testing conducted October 25 resulting in one unit being placed on full lockdown. Testing on October 29 returned six additional positive cases from the same unit. Since then, three days of testing revealed the nine additional positive cases.
The entire facility was tested Friday, with four more test dates scheduled over the next two weeks.
Three of Vermont’s correctional facilities and one field office have positive staff cases. All 15 currently positive incarcerated cases are at NECC; the first individual to test positive in the outbreak has since been medically cleared.
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.
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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