New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
The two staff members are corrections officers. Both have reported feeling fine and will be away from the facility for a few weeks. In total, 34 staff members have recovered from COVID and returned to duty since the beginning of March while seven, including the two previously mentioned corrections officers, remain away from the facility recovering. All currently recovering individuals are expected back over the next few weeks. One staff member, a health care professional with Correctional Psychiatric Services, resigned after recovering.
Twenty-eight county inmates have recovered from COVID-19 and have returned to the general population. Ten county inmates, including the three new cases mentioned above, remain in medical isolation. All are being continuously monitored by health care professionals and are expected to return to the general population over the next few weeks. Four inmates who tested positive last month were released as their sentences were concluded.
Over the past few months, the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office has instituted many protocols to protect inmates, detainees and staff from the Coronavirus outbreak. Some of these measures include:
· All employees, detainees, and inmates were issued masks that must be worn inside the secure perimeter of the facilities.
· All areas of the facilities are being cleaned\disinfected every day on every shift.
· All staff members are being screened before entering the buildings; new arriving inmates are being screened before being accepted into custody.
· In-person visitation has been suspended to limit the number of people coming in and out. It will resume, hopefully soon, based on guidance from the Governor’s Office, DPH and CDC.
