There are 250 cases of COVID-19 in Franklin and Essex counties as of Friday, with Franklin County setting new record numbers of cases daily and correctional facilities in both counties seeing the highest rates of inmate cases ever. Essex County reported a COVID-19-related death on Friday.

–

Franklin County

–

Franklin County again has a new highest number of active positive cases ever. With 38 new cases reported Friday, the total of 187 current cases includes many in Bare Hill and Upstate correctional facilities.

Of the 38 new cases Friday, 22 were inmates, according to Franklin County data.

Eleven cases were resolved Friday bringing the total number of people who have recovered from the virus in Franklin County to 474. This is of 669 people who have tested positive here this year. There have been eight deaths related to COVID-19, most at the Alice Center nursing home in Malone.

Essex County

Essex County reported one new COVID-19-related death Friday, bringing the total number of people killed by complications from the virus to 16. There are 63 active cases in the county, seven of these new, with one new hospitalization on Friday.

“We are saddened to report than an individual previously hospitalized with COVID-19 and other underlying health conditions has passed away,” Essex County Health Department wrote in a Facebook post.

There are 536 people under quarantine orders after coming in contact with a positive case, which is high according to the health department.

The county also has 34 inmates testing positive, who are not counted in the 63 figure.

–

Prisons

–

The Federal Correctional Institution at Ray Brook currently has 17 inmates testing positive for the coronavirus, the most ever, with no staff reported positive, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

There are currently 66 inmates testing positive for the virus in Bare Hill Correctional according to state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision spokesman Thomas Mailey, with no pending tests and 783 individuals who have tested negative. According to Franklin County, 225 people are quarantining there.

John Roberts, the Northern Region Vice President of the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association, said he heard Friday that inmates at Bare Hill Correctional were being tested.

Mailey said at Upstate Correctional Facility four incarcerated individuals are currently testing positive. Two individuals have recovered, there are 18 pending test results and 527 individuals with negative results. According to Franklin County, 38 people are quarantining there.

“There is no social distancing in prison,” Jose Saldana, director for the Release Aging People in Prison Campaign said Friday. “But what they could do is provide adequate (personal protective equipment).”

Saldana said inmates have told him they are given disposable masks they wash to make last several weeks at a time. He said this likely contributes to spread within facilities.

DOCCS does not supply data on the specific locations where staff or corrections officers test positive, so it is unknown how many, if any, are in these two facilities. DOCCS also does not provide active numbers of confirmed positive staff, only cumulative totals.

According to data collected and analyzed by the Associated Press and the Marshall project, a nonprofit organization reporting on criminal justice, state and federal prisoners nationwide have tested positive for COVID-19 at a rate of one-in-five, four times as high as the non-incarcerated rate. The mortality rate is 45% higher for inmates, according to this national data.

Saldana said this is “alarming.”

“The conditions do not allow for social distancing and the administrations do not really care too much about the humanity and health of those who are incarcerated to actually reduce the spread,” Saldana said.

Nationwide, new cases in correctional facilities are higher than ever. In New York, this is the second-highest week of new cases, with the first week in November featuring by far the most new cases.

“Incarcerated individuals displaying symptoms are immediately isolated and tested,” Mailey wrote in an email. “If a positive case is confirmed, a contact trace is conducted and those identified are quarantined and tested. Any individual that is COVID-19 positive or in quarantine as part of a contact trace is not allowed a visit. It is critical that both staff and incarcerated individuals continue to follow the protocols in place, which include the mandatory use of masks for all staff, visitors and incarcerated individuals when participating in activities.”

He said as of this week the intake of state-ready individuals from county jails has been temporarily suspended due to rising COVID-19 numbers, for at least 30 days.

DOCCS has also recently developed an asymptomatic surveillance plan to test a number of incarcerated individuals from each facility every weekday in order to avert potential outbreaks and target resources.

Mailey said DOCCS is partnering with the state Department of Health as part of the New York State COVID-19 Vaccination Program.

Roberts said NYSCOBPA has not yet been notified what phase the vaccine will be distributed to corrections staff in and whether or not it will be mandatory. He said these details are still being worked out by the state.

Saldana said he is not confident inmates will receive the vaccine, as the flu vaccine is not readily available to prisoners.

–

Vaccine rollout

–

Franklin County Public Health employee Sarah Granquist, in a Friday press release, said vaccine distribution in New York is off to a slow start, due to a limited amount of vaccine doses.

The state is currently in Phase One of distribution — healthcare workers, nursing home staff and some residents — which will continue through January 2021. She said Phase Two is expected to begin in late January.

Phase One will include healthcare workers (clinical and non-clinical) in patient care settings — with top priority to intensive care unit, emergency department and emergency medical services staff — long-term care facility workers who regularly interact with residents and most at-risk long-term care facility patients.

Phase Two will include first responders including fire, police and National Guard employees; teachers, school staff and childcare providers providing in-person instruction; public health workers and essential frontline workers who regularly interact with public such as pharmacists, grocery store workers and transit employees; long-term care facility patients and those living in other congregate settings; and individuals in general population deemed particularly high risk due to comorbidities and health conditions.

Phase Three will include individuals over 65 years old, and individuals under 65 with high-risk comorbidities and health conditions.

Phase Four will include all other essential workers.

Phase Five will include healthy adults and children.