The Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office say that the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center has seen a rise in the number of positive COVID-19 cases among inmates and staff.
The Sheriff's Office says that currently 12 housing units are under quarantine due to positive COVID-19 cases or inmates being quarantined for precautionary measures.
Those 12 units, they say, make up 40 percent of LPCC's inmate population. 199 inmates are currently under quarantine, according to the sheriff's office, and 69 of those have received results indicating they have tested positive for COVID-19.
14 of the 69 inmates have mild symptoms and the sheriff's office says that the remaining 55 are asymptomatic.
All inmates that have tested positive for the virus have been evaluated by medical providers and continue to be monitored frequently, the sheriff's office says. None of the inmates have required emergency intervention or hospitalization
LPCC staff are continuing to follow strict COVID-19 protocols amid a rise in positive cases.
Protocols currently followed at the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center include:
- Screening
- Quarantines
- COVID-19 testing
- Medical evaluations
- Area sterilization and the highest levels of sanitation
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
The sheriff's office says that 16 LPCC employees have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last two weeks. Those employees were required to quarantine at home and were not allowed to return until cleared.
All staff are required to wear a mask while working inside LPCC and all inmates that are escorted out of their housing units for any reason are required to wear masks. In addition, the sheriff's Office says that all staff working with the quarantine units are required to wear full personal protective equipment (PPE) in an effort to prevent any possible spread.
"We appreciate the continued cooperation of all our law enforcement and judicial partners to help us regulate our inmate population, and will continue to uphold the highest standards for the health and welfare of our employees and the inmates we house," the sheriff's office said in a release.
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