PICKAWAY – Yesterday Governor Dewine has authorized members of the Ohio National guard to support Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (ODRC) located in Orient in Pickaway County. The National Guard will help the medical staff at the institution.
Currently According to Pickaway Health and Ohio CDC Pickaway Correctional Institution is reporting 74 inmates with positive COVID-19 testing, 94 inmates that are being isolated, and 38 staff members that have also tested positive. The sister location Correctional Reception Center located on the same complex is now reporting 16 inmate cases, 16 people in quarantine and 3 staff members who have tested positive.
Some of these numbers are not reflected on CDC or Pickaway Health Department numbers. As of 2:00 p.m. today, Tuesday, April 14, 2020 currently there are 113 confirmed cases in Pickaway County, 72 being inmates, 34 persons under investigation, and 50 negative test results with 18 recovered, 8 hospitalized, and 1 death of an inmate.
As you can see the numbers reflected in their 2 pm report are not the same numbers the CDC is reporting, according to Susan from the Pickaway Emergency response center, “We know there are more inmates that are not accounted for on our report by the end of the day. As we get more information on positive cases we are entering them into the system there is a lag in the system for numbers from ODRC.”
Some staff members are not from the county and may not be counted in Pickaway county numbers, but ALL of the Corrections Institutions inmates are counted in Pickaway.
Because of the outbreak in cases with the staff members in Pickaway Correctional Institution Dewine ordered the national guard to step in and help assist. National Guard will provide medical triage staffing for the Jail, take temperatures, and help with non-COVID cases. They will also provide care at the long-term center which houses older inmates and inmates with chronic illnesses.
Governor Mike DeWine✔@GovMikeDeWine
Update on prisons: The @OHNationalGuard will begin providing assistance to the medical staff at Pickaway Correctional Institution. There are a number of medical staff out sick due to #COVID19 – they will provide triage support, taking temps, and helping with non-COVID19 cases.
A inmate that died at the facility over the weekend tested positive for COVID-19 prior to his death, The inmate was reported to have had chronic long-term illness.
Dewine was asked during the press conference on April 13 if they were looking at releasing more inmates at this time. Dewine said they are looking at the numbers but, buy releasing inmates you are defying judges orders.
Governor Mike DeWine✔@GovMikeDeWine
Update on prisons: The @OHNationalGuard will begin providing assistance to the medical staff at Pickaway Correctional Institution. There are a number of medical staff out sick due to #COVID19 – they will provide triage support, taking temps, and helping with non-COVID19 cases.
Governor Mike DeWine✔@GovMikeDeWine
Additionally, sadly, an inmate housed at Pickaway Correctional has died. That inmate had a long-term chronic illness and was tested for #COVID19 before his death. The test results returned positive today. This the 1st death of a state inmate who has tested positive for the virus.
