MANSFIELD — A COVID-19 outbreak among staff members at the two state prisons in Mansfield continues to rise.
There are currently 42 positive coronavirus cases among staff members at the Mansfield Correctional Institution and the Richland Correctional Institution, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction website, updated late Wednesday afternoon.
There are 31 staff at MANCI and 11 at RICI with positive tests, according to the ODRC, which reports that 221 workers at the two prisons have contracted COVID-19 since the pandemic began this spring. ODRC said 179 workers have recovered. There have been no deaths reported among MANCI or RICI staff members.
The two Mansfield-based prisons have seen eight confirmed or probable inmate deaths due to COVID-19 — seven from the open-bay RICI facility.
The two prisons reported Wednesday a total of three inmates currently positive, though 19 have test results pending with 541 inmates in quarantine and four in isolation. ODRC said 175 inmates at the two prisons have recovered from the virus.
According to the ODRC, quarantine separates and restricts the movement of people who were exposed, or potentially exposed, to a contagious disease to see if they become sick. Isolation separates sick people with a contagious disease from people who are not sick.
The Service Employees International Union, which represents Ohio prison employees, issued a statement Wednesday pointing out the problem is statewide.
SEIU said 1,232 staff members with ODRC have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last month.
“Workers with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction are going to work every day and system-wide over 1,232 staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 since Nov. 8,” said Joshua Norris, an executive Vice President with SEIU District 1199.
“As of Nov. 8, there were just 1,700 staff cases, but there have been 2,932 staff cases at present,” Norris said.
SEIU District 1199 has encouraged work-from-home status be considered for as many workers as possible, especially as community spread and COVID-19 transmission increases.
SEIU District 1199 represents health care workers and staff members who provide services on behalf of the ODRC.
SEIU District 1199 also represents workers with OhioMHAS Recovery Services.
