A substance abuse counselor who interacted with inmates at a prison in Richmond tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice announced Monday.
The counselor apparently didn’t have a fever when he reported to work at the prison on March 17, but he left early and went to a doctor.
That doctor gave him a note that allowed him to return to work on Saturday, so he did, interacting with more inmates.
Criminal Justice spokesman Jeremy Desel said the counselor was unaware that his doctor had tested him for COVID-19 and learned he was positive on Sunday.
So far, no one who interacted with the counselor is symptomatic.
He and his coworkers are in self quarantine, and TDCJ is monitoring the inmates with whom he interacted. They are restricted housing inmates, so there was a door between the counselor and them.
The Criminal Justice department has not disclosed with how many inmates the counselor interacted.
Prison experts warned it was more likely staff would infect inmates than the other way around.
They called on the Department of Criminal Justice in the short term to allow inmates to use hand sanitizer and in the long term to expedite parole. More than 20% of the inmates are over the age of 50, the most at-risk population when it comes to the coronavirus. And the doctors TDCJ has contracted with to treat them said many inmates have pre-existing conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease.
The department announced last week that in addition to taking the temperatures of correctional officers, it will do so for incoming offenders arriving at its 24 intake facilities. Prison hospitals will limit the number of medical students who see patients to prevent transmission possibilities. Prisons will also provide soap to inmates at no charge and extend their phone time.
Prison officials said that any employee with a temperature of 100.4 degrees or higher would be sent home. An inmate with a fever will be given a surgical mask and medically isolated until doctors can assess the patient’s risk of coronavirus infection.
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