State officials address COVID-19 spread in correctional facilities

Tuesday, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, along with Commissioner of Health Dr. Lance Frye and Department of Corrections (DoC) Director Scott Crow, held a livestreamed press conference to update citizens on the current status of COVID-19 in the state.

One main point of the conference was the prevalence and the rapid spread of COVID-19 within prisons. Director Crow believes that “all Oklahoma lives matter,” whether it’s those in the public or those in the prison system. To date, 590 staff have been tested, with 278 cumulative positive cases and 63 current cases. In addition, 14,010 inmates (64.3 percent of the total inmate population) have been tested, there have been 3,168 cumulative positives (14.5 percent), and there are 1,398 (6.4 percent) current cases among inmates. There are currently 22 inmates hospitalized due to COVID-19, 1.6 percent of the current positive cases. A total of nine inmates have expired due to COVID-19-related causes, according to Crow.

Because social distancing is often difficult in prison environments, the DoC has increased testing availability for staff and officers. It has also given pay raises to employees in hotspot areas. Crow said it is “...important to provide them with this little bit of extra support...” during these difficult times. Crow believes the DoC has put its best foot forward, but he clarified, “we are not perfect.” He and the department are working on a daily basis to identify new, innovative measures to mitigate the issue. “I want to

do everything we can to safeguard the citizens of Oklahoma, and again, that includes those behind prison walls,” said Frye. “...Are there issues of noncompliance? Yes,” he added. To combat this issue, a DoC staff team has been implemented to monitor surveillance cameras around the clock to quickly respond to noncompliance and ensure every facility is following the proper protocols.

In addition, the DoC has organized “hotspot response teams,” rapid response units that can aid hotspot facilities with sanitation, security, and medical and food services. This allows the administration to focus on core operations, according to Crow.

Governor Stitt said he is “confident that Director Crow’s team will continue working to... keep our inmates and all the staff safe.” He also gave an update on the current COVID-19 situation throughout the entire state.

Oklahoma has fully operated for the past four months with no restrictions and has averaged 1,000 new cases per day over the past two weeks, Stitt reported. According to data from John Hopkins University, Oklahoma’s test positivity rate of 9.2 percent ranks it 14th in the country on test positivity rate. This is “even with or better than most states in our region,” said Stitt. In addition, the state’s recovery rate is the 14th per capita—60 percent more Oklahomans are recovering in comparison to the national average.

Below five percent of active cases need hospital treatment, and there are currently 628 COVID-19 patients being treated in hospitals—this number is up 106 since last Friday’s report. Stitt also mentioned that, while most hospitals are accurately reporting numbers, there are approximately 15-87 percent of people not properly reported by hospitals. The Department of Health has been contacting those hospitals to remind them how important it is to report accurate numbers for the citizens of Oklahoma.

During a call with the White House Coronavirus Taskforce, Stitt was advised to remind college students to stay on campus, even after testing positive. The colleges and universities throughout the state have plans to manage the virus while keeping students safe and providing proper care. According to Stitt, staying on campus will allow better containment and will help avoid furthering the statewide spread. While 99.99 percent of people under age 25 have recovered from the virus, Stitt said, leaving campus and going home while infected with COVID-19 can pose a greater risk to those who are more vulnerable.

As the state continues to work toward mitigating the spread of COVID-19, Commissioner Frye reminded Oklahomans to participate in mask wearing, hand washing and social distancing, and he advised citizens to get tested if they think they may have been exposed to the virus.