Number Of Inmates, Staff In US Prisons Test Positive For Coronavirus - Attorney General

At least six inmates and four prison staff members in the United States have tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), prompting the authorities to lock down the affected facilities, US Attorney General William Barr said during a press briefing on Thursday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th March, 2020) At least six inmates and four prison staff members in the United States have tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), prompting the authorities to lock down the affected facilities, US Attorney General William Barr said during a press briefing on Thursday.

"A number of inmates and staff have been tested positive... [One inmate] had significant pre-existing conditions and is in critical condition," Barr told reporters. "As of last night, there were four staff members who had been tested and tested positive."

The novel coronavirus infections among inmates have been identified in the US states of New York, Louisiana and Georgia.

Barr said that prisons across the United States practice screenings and quarantines to prevent the virus from spreading.

Barr also said he asked the Federal Bureau of Prisons "to see if it was possible to expand home confinement, particularly for older prisoners who have served substantial parts of their sentences and no longer pose a threat and may have underlying conditions."

"They have been doing that work" Barr added.

Approximately 10,000 inmates are over the age of 60 and a third has pre-existing conditions.