The nation’s jails and prisons are on high alert, stepping up inmate screenings, sanitizing jail cells and urging lawyers to scale back in-person visits to prevent the new coronavirus from spreading through their vast inmate populations.
News headlines today: Mar. 6, 2020PHILADELPHIA --
“Jails are, you know, just prime opportunities for something like this to spread,” said Bossier Parish Sheriff Julian Whittington, the president of the Louisiana Sheriff’s Association. “I’m a realist and I suspect more than likely sometime it’s going to pop up in somebody’s jail.” Reports of illness spreading in a jail are fairly common, and occasionally outbreaks of influenza have required quarantine. Most often, the numbers of inmates who come down with the flu at the same time don’t climb higher than a couple of dozen, but there have been exceptions. In 2013, an outbreak of the stomach flu at Cook County Jail in Chicago, the largest single site jail in the U.S., prompted the quarantine of 700 inmates.
The screening has since been updated to include COVID-19, not only in Philadelphia, but also in Dallas, Houston, Miami, Chicago and other cities. No prisons have yet obtained the medical kits to test for the virus, however. Local corrections officials realize they're on the front lines of possible outbreaks and are working on protective measures.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
U.S. financial regulators start contingency planning as virus reaches WashingtonU.S. financial regulators are preparing contingency arrangements, including trav...
Read more »
Exclusive: U.S. considers discouraging some travelers from cruises - sourcesThe United States is considering ways to discourage U.S. travelers from taking c...
Read more »
How testing failures allowed coronavirus to sweep the U.S.The Trump administration’s decision to forgo a World Health Organization test and create their own had fateful consequences, experts say.
Read more »
After U.S. Congress and Fed's quick coronavirus response, next steps likely tougher for WashingtonThe U.S. Federal Reserve and Congress moved swiftly to confront the growing coro...
Read more »
Coronavirus live updates: US death toll rises to 15; SXSW canceledVice Pres. Mike Pence says 21 people on board the Grand Princess, a cruise ship anchored off San Francisco, have tested positive for coronavirus. 46 people total were tested.
Read more »
Trump Signs $8.3 Billion Bill To Combat Coronavirus Outbreak In U.S.The money would pay for a multifaceted attack on a virus that is spreading more widely every day.
Read more »