Waterbury, VT – Vermont Department of Corrections (Vermont DOC) is reporting seven new positive cases of COVID-19:
- an incarcerated individual at Northern State Correctional Facility (NSCF) in Newport tested positive for COVID-19 in a test conducted August 23 as a result of the individual presenting with symptoms;
- four staff members at NSCF tested positive for the virus on August 24 in scheduled surveillance testing;
- a staff member at Marble Valley Regional Correctional Facility (MVRCF) in Rutland tested positive for the virus on August 24 in scheduled surveillance testing;
- and a staff member at Northwest State Correctional Facility (NWSCF) in St. Albans tested positive for the virus on August 24 in scheduled surveillance testing.
The incarcerated individual at NSCF lives in a general population unit where a currently COVID-positive staff member worked. They, along with three other symptomatic individuals in the unit, have been moved to isolation and the remainder of the unit is now quarantined. The three individuals were tested on August 25; results are pending. Staff and incarcerated individuals will be tested on August 27.
Contact tracing was initiated, and full lockdown implemented at all above facilities upon receipt of the positive results. Following contact tracing, MVRCF and NWSCF returned to modified operations. At MVRCF, four staff close contacts were identified, three of whom are now quarantined. At NWSCF, six staff close contacts were identified, one of whom is now quarantined. No incarcerated individuals were found to be close contacts at either facility.
Full lockdown will remain in place at NSCF pending results from August 27 testing.
On Thursday, Vermont DOC reinstituted the mandatory mask directive for staff and the population at all facilities and stopped outside visitation at facilities with positive cases. There are currently positive cases in either staff, the incarcerated population, or both at five of Vermont’s six facilities.
This is the first positive incarcerated case at NSCF since March 25, 2021, and the first positive staff case at MVRCF since May 2, 2021.
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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