Federal prison in Sheridan sees COVID cases spike

SHERIDAN, Ore. (AP) — Officials say the number of people testing positive for the coronavirus has surged over the past month at a federal prison in Sheridan, west of Salem.

Officials confirmed Tuesday that on Dec. 4, the medium-security prison in Sheridan had two cases. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports by Wednesday, the Bureau of Prisons says the prison, which is home to about 1,450 male inmates, had 41 active cases among prisoners and another 10 cases diagnosed in staff.

Bureau of Prisons spokesperson Farrah Silver says the facility has had to find “alternate housing and spacing for social distancing, as well as quarantine and isolation purposes,” and added that the increased case number could be related to increased testing.

Read more at: https://apnews.com/article/prisons-health-coronavirus-pandemic-oregon-salem-5f3b09aebc0f96e88546fadfa8662db7