AUSTIN (WBAP/KLIF) – Strike teams are being deployed to Texas prisons to ramp up the number of prisoners tested for COVID-19. The move comes as the number of confirmed cases in the state’s prison system is quickly increasing.
“These tests are readily available and deployable,” said Bryan Collier TDCJ Executive Director. “Increasing the information available to our medical professionals will help us to further enhance the agency’s ability of stop the spread of COVID-19.”
According to TDCJ, the new tests are being utilized by the United States Air Force. Clinical studies suggest Curative’s oral fluid test has equivalent sensitivity to nasopharyngeal swab tests that require a nurse. Curative has also deployed its oral test kit at drive-thru and other centers in Los Angeles, testing more than 57,000 people at a rate now grown to approximately 5,000 per day.
The agency has 12 strike teams who are trained. Like has occurred in virtually every area where large scale asymptomatic testing has taken place TDCJ fully expects the number of positive offender cases to expand dramatically. The agency has a plan in place to medically restrict these new asymptomatic cases as needed.
In total there are 652 TDCJ employees, staff or contractors who have tested positive for COVID-19 and 1733 offenders who have tested positive. There have been 30 confirmed offender deaths and 23 pending autopsy results. 7 staff members have died from COVID-19. There are now 91 employees and 371 offenders who have medically recovered from COVID-19.
19, 214 offenders are on medical restriction because they may have had contact with either an employee or offender with a positive or pending COVID-19 test.
The Fort Worth Medical Center, a Federal prison, has also experienced a recent increase in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases.
Listen to Clayton Neville’s story below:
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