Seven incarcerated individuals test positive in Newport

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Department of Corrections (Vermont DOC) is reporting seven incarcerated individuals at Northern State Correctional Facility (NSCF) in Newport tested positive for COVID-19 in outbreak testing conducted August 30. All staff results are negative.

Six of the seven positive cases are individuals who live in a general population unit where a currently COVID-positive staff member worked, and where 21 prior incarcerated positive cases were discovered in testing conducted August 23, 25 and 27. The remaining positive individual is from a unit in which there was one positive case detected August 27.

Contact tracing is underway, and the entire facility will be tested again on Thursday, September 2. The facility remains on full lockdown.

There are now a total of 32 COVID-positive incarcerated individuals and seven COVID-positive staff at NSCF. Statewide, there are 36 COVID-positive incarcerated individuals and 10 COVID-positive staff. The positive incarcerated cases at all facilities except NSCF were detected in intake quarantine and pose no risk to the general populations.

As of Wednesday, there are positive cases in staff, the incarcerated population, or both at five of Vermont’s six facilities.

Families and friends of incarcerated individuals are encouraged to reach out to the Vermont DOC Office of Constituency Services with questions: https://doc.vermont.gov/information-inmate-families-and-friends. Click here for the direct link to the online Friends and Family portal.

Updates on the COVID-19 response in Vermont’s correctional facilities can be found at https://doc.vermont.gov/covid-19-information-page.

Source: Waterbury, Vt. – Vermont Department of Corrections 9.1.2021