Some of Maine’s jails didn’t require inmates and staff to wear masks in the aftermath of the early stages of a large outbreak at a jail in the southern part of the state, the Bangor Daily News reported.
The York County jail outbreak, which is connected to an outbreak from a northern Maine wedding and reception, has sickened more than 80 people.
The Bangor Daily News obtained a report that details a Maine Department of Corrections inspection of the jails that took place in August and September. The inspection included 14 of Maine’s 15 county jails. It found that the practice of requiring masks of inmates, staff and visitors was not universal.
The report found that only four jails had a diversion plan for where to send inmates during an outbreak. One jail, Kennebec County Correctional Facility, wasn’t screening staff for COVID-19 symptoms.
