By Sarah Calams
RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia Department of Corrections has created and put in place a COVID-19 medical guideline and sanitation plan to help keep staff and offenders safe.
The medical epidemic/pandemic sanitation plan was put in place to ensure proper sanitation at every facility, including the utilization of appropriate chemicals and personal protective equipment, is enforced.
The medical guideline is paired with an offender screen questionnaire and medical evaluation tool to help evaluate and monitor offenders’ health.
There is also a screening tool for employees, who must assess their risk daily before arriving to work. Moreover, a multi-disciplinary task force has been monitoring COVID-19 updates to prevent the novel coronavirus entering the state’s correctional facilities.
Currently, there are no known cases of COVID-19 among staff or offenders in the state’s prisons. Until further notice, visitation and volunteer activities remain cancelled.