Corrections Department reports 122 Covid-19 tied to Sussex Correctional

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The Delaware Department of Correction has reported 122 cases of coronavirus in the Sussex Correctional Institution. Most have no symptoms, but can spread the infection.
 
As of July 8, 122 inmates have active COVID-19 infection, including 95 who are asymptomatic of illness and 27 who are symptomatic. 
 
The Georgetown prison escaped the first outbreak in Sussex County, which involved the poultry worker community and their families in an area from Milford to Millsboro.
 
The Washington Post reported 17 deaths from the early outbreak  in the poultry industry which spans the Delmarva Peninsula and includes portions of Maryland and Virginia in addition to Delaware.
 
The latest outbreak in Sussex was first tied to the nearby beach area following senior week activities. Cases were also reported among lifeguards and restaurant workers. 
 
A total of 119 are from Sussex Correctional Institution and three are from Morris Community Corrections Center (MCCC) in Dover. 
 
Preliminary indications suggest the Morris  inmates who tested positive this week can be traced to inmates who had recently arrived from Sussex Correctional and tested positive for COVID-19 while being quarantined during intake. 
 
Seven  COVID-positive inmates have been transferred to the COVID-19 Treatment Center at the James T. Vaughn Correctional Center, 1 is being treated in  Vaughn infirmary, and 3 are being treated in stable condition in area hospitals. 
 
A total of 48 Sussex inmates who most recently tested positive are being held in isolation and will be moved to the SCI COVID-19 Treatment Center this week.
 
The Delaware Department of Correction continues to aggressively test, trace, clean and treat to combat inmate COVID-19 cases at Sussex Correctional Institution (SCI) in Georgetown.  
 
Last week the DOC announced that after six weeks with no inmates testing positive for COVID-19 in any of the state’s correctional facilities, a cluster of inmate cases was identified at SCI, the first inmate cases at that facility during the COVID-19  pandemic.  
 
“Every inmate at SCI is being tested as part of our comprehensive COVID-19 mitigation efforts at that facility, and because the illness is present in several housing units we know that the number of positive test results will grow,” Correction Commissioner Claire DeMatteis said. “Three-quarters of the COVID-positive inmates have no symptoms of illness, and thanks to our proactive testing we are identifying these inmates early.  We are prepared to isolate and treat every COVID-positive inmate, in collaboration with our correctional healthcare provider.  We are activating a COVID-19 Treatment Center at SCI this week and are continuing to work aggressively to contain and eradicate the illness at that facility.”
 
Last week, after three inmates at SCI showed symptoms of COVID-19 infection and tested positive for the illness, the DOC immediately initiated contact tracing to identify, isolate and proactively test individuals who came into sustained contact with these inmates.  After new inmate test results were received, additional mitigation measures were implemented on top of DOC’s existing  COVID protocols.
 

Sussex is not  not accepting any new commits on a temporary basis.