COVID cluster now confirmed at Clinton Correctional Facility

DANNEMORA | Widespread testing is now underway at Clinton Correctional Facility after a number of inmates and staff tested positive for COVID-19. Clinton County Health Department confirmed Oct. 20 that 11 of the county's now 35 cases involved the local maximum-security prison. Eighteen cases are associated with a recent outbreak at Plattsburgh State. The new data shows the highest documented short-term growth in Clinton County since the pandemic hit the region last spring. "The upward trend in cases we are seeing is definitely concerning," John Kanoza, director of public health in Clinton County, said while announcing the new data from Clinton Correctional. "When you consider our entire population, numbers are still relatively low, but this is one of the largest spikes in cases we have seen, to date. Our concern is that numbers will continue to increase, resulting in an unsustainable burden to our medical system and potential shutdowns. We don't want to see that happen, and we continue to work diligently in our mitigation efforts. But we can't do this alone— we need your help." Word of the cluster prompted calls for more state guidance on preventative measures in prison facilities as Assemblyman Billy Jones said "The recent increase in COVID-19 cases in northern correctional facilities is alarming given that there remains no guidance from the state." Jones said state Department of Health guidance has been issued for nursing homes and long-term care facilities to address outbreaks, but "no guidance has been issued for prison populations. As I have stated before, we must have guidelines and protocols in place if individuals, staff or inmates, in these facilities contract the virus." "In our nursing homes and long term care facilities, staff and residents are tested regularly, but no proactive guidelines have been instituted in prisons, which has one of the most dense populations and employs hundreds of people in our communities. As our governor has said, this virus knows no boundaries, so why don't we have the guidelines and protocols in prisons that are reflective of the strict guidelines in place in other facilities," Jones, a former correctional officer himself, said Oct. 20 as county health officials confirmed the local prison outbreak. "These guidelines must be issued immediately to prevent further spread of the virus." Results from an undisclosed number of tests were still pending from Clinton Correctional Facility when county officials released the Oct. 20 data, sources told Sun Community News. Clinton County health officials are continuing to utilize the county's Incident Command System structure with the ongoing contact tracing and quarantine efforts and said that system will now be expanded in light of the recent spike in cases. "Our team has been in near constant communications with SUNY Plattsburgh over the past week, as well as New York State Department of Health, as we work together to keep our entire community as healthy and safe as possible," Kanoza said. He urged all residents to help curb the current spread by making personal choices that support their efforts. "We need residents partnering with us in this response. The small choices—to wear a mask, to keep your distance from others, to wash your hands (again), those are the things that can make a big difference in minimizing spread of this disease. These actions don't eliminate all risk, but they do work in minimizing risk."

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COVID cluster now confirmed at Clinton Correctional Facility

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