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Maine seeks to end coronavirus outbreaks at jails

Photo: 560 WGAN Newsradio


AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) Authorities in Maine are recommending that every county jail in the state set up a COVID-19 testing plan as the state continues to grapple with a large outbreak at a jail in Alfred.

An outbreak at York County Jail has sickened more than 80 people. It’s connected with a large outbreak that stems from a wedding and reception in northern Maine.

A state report later showed that some of the county jails in the state didn’t require inmates and staff to wear masks in the aftermath of the early stages of the Alfred outbreak. One jail wasn’t performing symptom checks on staff, and many lacked diversion plans about where to send inmates during an outbreak.

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Maine Department of Corrections are calling for the jails to implement testing plans and protocols for screening and personal protective equipment, according to guidelines issued by the agencies. Guidelines for testing include a recommendation that facilities conduct the testing anytime an inmate or staff member exhibits COVID-19 symptoms.

Maine CDC director Nirav Shah said he had a conference call with the Maine Sheriffs’ Association on Monday in which the sheriffs made clear they intended to follow the new guidelines.

“It was clear to me that they are all going in the same direction to assure full, universal compliance,” Shah said.

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