By Sarah Calams
RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia Department of Corrections is dramatically increasing COVID-19 testing of staff and offenders.
The Virginia DOC is partnering with Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), the University of Virginia (UVA) and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) to increase COVID-19 testing, according to a Virginia DOC press release. The VDH will send staff to VADOC facilities to assist with the hundreds of additional tests.
VCU, UVA and Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services will also send additional tests to VADOC facilities. The testing will be offered for all symptomatic staff members and offenders.
In addition to testing symptomatic individuals, VADOC has also begun point prevalence testing, which involves testing asymptomatic individuals, at Harrisonburg CCAP and Haynesville Correctional Center. Point prevalence testing will begin at Deerfield Correctional Center this week. The entire facility and staff will be tested, according to the release.
Currently, 434 VADOC offenders have tested positive for COVID-19 and 50 staff members have active COVID-19 cases.