Inmate Population in VI With Covid-19 Climbs to 7; BOC Orders All Staff to Either Test Weekly, Show Proof of Vaccination or Positive Antibody

  • Ernice Gilbert
  • August 05, 2021
comments
11 Comments

Golden Grove Correctional Facility (John A. Bell Adult Correctional Facility) on St. Croix. By. VI CONSORTIUM

The Bureau of Corrections told the Consortium Wednesday that seven inmates have now tested positive for Covid-19, up from two from an earlier update last week. The latest infections have prompted B.O.C. to require from staff either weekly Covid-19 testing, proof of vaccination or proof of positive Covid-19 antibody (natural immunity from previous illness.)

"Based on reports received from our Medical staff, we have retested all 133 inmates/detainees on August 3, 2021, in our care at the Virgin Islands Bureau of Corrections. We have a total of seven inmates who tested positive and 126 inmates who tested negative. We have no current hospitalizations," the bureau said.

B.O.C. added, "In terms of our staff, at the John A. Bell Adult Correctional Facility, we have a total of 55 correctional officers and 38 civilian staff. Based on the Mandatory COVID-19 Testing of All BOC Staff Directive issued by Director Testamark, No later than 5 p.m. Thursday, August 5, 2021, all BOC staff must either: provide proof that they have taken the COVID-19 vaccine; or provide a positive COVID-19 antibody test taken within the last four months (which shows a prior COVID-19 infection); or provide a negative COVID-19 test result taken within the last five days. Based on initial testing last week into this week, there were no positive cases reported for our staff at the facility."

The virus has been spreading rapidly in the U.S. Virgin Islands, an upswing in cases health officials have said is a result of the Delta variant's presence in the territory.

As of Tuesday, there were 241 active cases territory-wide: 147 on St. Thomas, ninety on St. Croix and one on St. John.

The Delta variant is now the dominant strain in the U.S. (83 percent of cases) and the world, accounting for the vast majority of infections with its ability to evade vaccines and its extremely high transmissibility. The CDC said last week that vaccinated people who become infected may be spreading the Delta variant of Covid-19, a development the federal health authority said led to its recommendation that vaccinated people should wear masks indoors and in public in certain parts of the country where infection rates are high.

The CDC said an outbreak in Cape Cod, Massachusetts informed its recommendation, after it found that 127 vaccinated people infected with the Delta variant during the outbreak appeared to carry as much virus as eighty-four unvaccinated or partially vaccinated people who got infected. 

The outbreak occurred during the July 4th weekend, in Provincetown, Cape Cod. The CDC said that among the 469 cases linked to the outbreak, almost 75 percent were fully vaccinated. And nearly 80 percent of the vaccinated individuals who got ill had symptoms of headache, sore throat, fever or cough. Additionally, four were hospitalized, however there were no deaths, the CDC said. 

 

 

Get the latest news straight to your phone with the VI Consortium app.