Coronavirus In Pennsylvania: Inmate Visits At State Prisons Suspended Amid Virus Outbreak
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections has suspended inmate visits at all state prisons amid the coronavirus outbreak.
No visits will be allowed for two weeks, starting Friday.
Officials say all state correctional institutions will perform enhanced screening of all staff, vendors and contracted providers.
"As a result of the mitigation measures outlined by Gov. Wolf today, beginning tomorrow, March 13, ALL essential employees – no matter where they live -- are required to report to work," Department of Corrections Secretary Wetzel said in a release. "Our goal, in addition to delaying the impact of this virus on our system, is to continue normal operation of our system. To focus on that goal, we need to limit who enters our facilities and focus on critical functions."
As of Thursday evening, there are 22 cases of coronavirus in Pennsylvania — all of them in the eastern part of the state.