Correction Department reports three inmates testing positive for Covid-19

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 The Delaware Department of Correction reported three inmates with ties to Sussex County tested positive for Covid-19.
 
The county has seen a higher incidence of coronavirus than New Castle or Kent County. 
 
The following cases were reported: 
  • One asymptomatic inmate from Sussex Correctional Institution (SCI) who contracted COVID-19 in the community.  When the inmate arrived at the facility last week he was identified as high risk when the intake process revealed that he had close contact with a COVID-19 patient in the community.  The inmate was immediately isolated and a COVID-19 test was administered. 
  • One inmate from Morris Community Corrections Center (MCCC) who was transferred to that facility from SCI  last week.  The inmate had been isolated and was being closely monitored during his first 14 days at the facility as part of DOC’s COVID-19 protocol.  
  • One inmate from SCI who received a COVID-19 test on July 1 at an area hospital while being treated for a medical condition. 
 
“Our aggressive screening, monitoring, and testing procedures have worked as intended to identify new inmate COVID-19 cases early, and these inmates are receiving excellent care,” Department of Correction Commissioner Claire DeMatteis said.  “Today, just three inmates statewide have COVID-19, while 141 inmates have fully recovered.  Our comprehensive mitigation strategy remains the key to containing this illness in our correctional system.”
 
 
Two of the three COVID-positive inmates have been transferred to the JTVCC COVID-19 Treatment Center, while the inmate from SCI who was diagnosed with COVID at an area hospital remains at that hospital.
 
 
Contact tracing is being used to identify, isolate and test individuals who came into sustained contact with the COVID-positive inmates.

 

Currently, seven DOC staff across all DOC facilities and one healthcare contractor assigned to a DOC facility have COVID-19, while 87 DOC staff and healthcare contractors assigned to DOC facilities have recovered from the illness.