PICKAWAY – Two Pickaway Institutions that share the same location are reporting more surge in COVID-19 within their walls. In less that two weeks since the first report of a death now they are reporting 22 deaths, 20 confirmed COVID-19 and 2 suspected, they have a total of 1,744 inmates and staff that have tested positive for COVID-19.
Recently PCI reported a death of a nurse from COVID-19 that worked within its walls, and now has a new surge of other staff members that are positive for the virus.
Dewine said that DRCOhio has dropped the inmate population by 336 inmates in the past week. For the past five weeks, it has dropped by 844 inmates.
As of 2:00 p.m. today, Wednesday, April 29, 2020 there are a total of 17,303 COVID-19 cases in Ohio and 937 deaths. Currently there are 1,710 confirmed positive COVID-19 cases in Pickaway County, 1,637 being inmates, leaving 73 local residents who have tested positive. There are a total of 37 hospitalizations, 32 being inmates, and 7 on ventilators, 6 being inmates. At this time there are a total of 19 deaths, 18 being inmates, 1 being a local resident. There are also 61 recovered at this time and an additional 89 inmates recovered. Please remember that those recovered do not fall off the total count, it is a running total.
According to CDC Pickaway Corrections Institution is at 1,477 inmate confirmed cases of COVID-19, 1477 people are in isolation, 93 staff members who have reported positive and 20 deaths (two probable). Correctional Reception Center is reporting 44 positive cases, 44 people in quarantine, and 11 staff members positive. 94 Inmates have recovered from COVID-19.
Pickaway Corrections institution has the majority of the deaths from COVID-19 for inmates in the state.
Gov. Dewine said on Friday comprehensive testing of inmates has begun at Marion Correctional Institution, Pickaway Correctional Institution, and Franklin Medical Center. Ohio is believed to be the first and only state in the country to conduct comprehensive testing in a state prison setting. This is why you see a spike in prison cases.
Governor DeWine reiterated today April, 20th that Ohio’s recovery phase will be not start and end overnight.
“We must continue to assume that everyone has this disease because it is not going away until we have a vaccine,” said Governor DeWine. “As we gradually, carefully, and responsibly start to reopen Ohio, it will be important that we all continue to work together to protect each other.”
As Ohio begins to reopen, Governor DeWine stressed the need to balance:
Compliance with public health measures;
Implementation of safeguards in business; and
Protections for the most vulnerable Ohioans.
PRISON UPDATE:
Comprehensive testing of inmates has begun at Marion Correctional Institution, Pickaway Correctional Institution, and Franklin Medical Center. Ohio is believed to be the first and only state in the country to conduct comprehensive testing in a state prison setting.
With comprehensive testing at these facilities, the Ohio Department of Health expects higher reports of COVID-19 as the testing identifies positive individuals who otherwise are asymptomatic or would recover without a test. For example, the testing of one prison dorm in Marion found that out of 152 inmates, 39 percent tested positive for COVID-19 although they did not show any symptoms.
“While we know coronavirus does pose a specific threat to congregate settings, this comprehensive testing will give us insight on both how to best coordinate response at these facilities, as well as data and insight on how comprehensive testing within a cohort will affect testing numbers,” said Governor DeWine. “I want Ohioans to know that these numbers do not necessarily indicate a new problem at these facilities, but simply wider testing.”
Governor DeWine also announced that he denied 84 commutation requests and approved seven.
