Two staff members and one inmate at Lee Arrendale State Prison in Alto have confirmed cases of COVID-19, according to the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC).
“The cases were confirmed April 9 and 10,” says GDC Public Affairs Director Joan Heath.
In state-run prisons across the state, 59 employees and 60 offenders have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Six of those staff members and 22 offenders have recovered, online records show.
State-wide, three offenders and one state prison employee have died from the virus. According to GDC records, that includes two inmates at Lee State Prison near Albany and one at Johnson State Prison in Wrightsville. The employee worked at Calhoun State Prison in southwest Georgia.
Visitation at all facilities, including with attorneys, has been suspended through at least April 30. Offenders are being allowed one free call and two free stamps each week to help them stay in touch with their families, GDC says.
All volunteer visits, facility tours, and non-essential offender movements across GDC facilities are suspended until further notice.
Other safety protocols include increased availability of soap and hand sanitizer and enhanced medical screenings for employees and offenders. GDC also is waiving the $5 medical co-pay for offenders exhibiting COVID-19 or flu-like symptoms.
