Updated Tuesday at 8 p.m.
A Covid-19 outbreak at the St. Johnsbury prison continues to grow, with the latest testing results revealing that a total of 20 incarcerated individuals have now contracted the coronavirus.
In addition, recent test results have shown that four corrections staff members at the Northeast Correctional Complex have tested positive for Covid-19.
The facility remains under lockdown, which was put in place late last month.
The outbreak as of last week stood at 16 incarcerated individuals who had tested positive for the coronavirus. The corrections department reported Monday three additional Covid-19 positive cases among incarcerated individuals.
Also, Rachel Feldman, a corrections department spokesperson, said Tuesday that another incarcerated individual had tested positive for the coronavirus.
That brings the total number of cases among incarcerated individuals to 20 since the outbreak started, Feldman said.
A breakdown of those 20 positive cases, according to Feldman, showed 14 incarcerated individuals were vaccinated, five were unvaccinated and one was partially vaccinated.
None of the 20 cases among incarcerated people at the St. Johnsbury prison has led to a hospitalization, according to Feldman.
An additional round of testing at the facility took place Monday, but those results were not yet available Tuesday afternoon, according to Feldman.
Covid-19 positive cases have been detected in three of the six housing units in the main prison building. The first Covid-19 positive case among a person in custody at the St. Johnsbury prison was detected in testing on Oct. 25, according to the corrections department.
The St. Johnsbury prison is the only Vermont facility with incarcerated individuals currently positive for Covid-19, according to the corrections department. Three of the state’s six correctional facilities and two field offices also have positive staff cases.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, other outbreaks in the correctional system have included 185 incarcerated individuals from Vermont housed in a Mississippi prison testing positive for the virus, and 145 people in custody at the Newport prison testing positive.
Vermont Defender General Matthew Valerio, whose department oversees the state’s Prisoners’ Rights Office, said late last week he wasn’t too surprised by the recent outbreak at the St. Johnsbury prison.
He said given the prevalence of Covid-19 in the community it’s not unusual to see the virus spread into the correctional system.
“They’re experiencing the same thing the general population is,” Valerio said.
