Pa. state prison visits suspended amid covid-19 surge, staffing shortages
Citing the impact of the latest covid-19 surge on staffing, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections will suspend in-person visits at all state prisons beginning Thursday through Feb. 28.
“Staffing levels have been significantly impacted throughout the winter months by the same uptick in covid-19 cases that our communities are experiencing,” said acting Corrections Secretary George Little. “Even when symptoms are mild, quarantine requirements for covid-positive staff and close contacts of those who have tested positive have led to an increased reliance on voluntary and mandated overtime that is not sustainable.”
While the case surge related to the omicron variant has hit the region and country hard, there have been encouraging signs in the past few days. Statewide, there were 9,331 new covid cases reported Monday — the first time the state has posted a new daily case count under 10,000 since Dec. 26. In the past seven days Pennsylvania has recorded 107,365 cases, which is nearly half of what it was just 12 days ago (200,225).
Those with an in-person visit scheduled for Thursday or later will receive a cancellation notice via email. When on-site visits resume, visitors 12 years and older will be required to prove they have been vaccinated against covid-19 during the scheduling process and may be asked to provide proof of vaccination before entering the facility.
“We recognize the stress a suspension of in-person visitation may place on incarcerated individuals and their loved ones, and we will work to mitigate those issues,” Little said. “This is a temporary measure to ensure critical positions in our facilities remain staffed.”
According to covid-19 data posted to the Department of Corrections website, a spike in positive cases within the prison system coincided roughly with the same spike in the general population, ramping up in early January and cresting Jan. 19 with more than 330 positive tests statewide.
After its Smithfield facility in Camp Hill (319 active cases), the department’s Laurel Highlands facility in Somerset has the second-most active covid cases at 239.
Little said the suspension of in-person visits will allow facilities to more effectively allocate staff.
Up-to-date information on covid-19 within the DOC system is available on the agency’s covid-19 dashboard.
Patrick Varine is a TribLive reporter covering Delmont, Export and Murrysville. He is a Western Pennsylvania native and joined the Trib in 2010 after working as a reporter and editor with the former Dover Post Co. in Delaware. He can be reached at pvarine@triblive.com.
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