Oregon inmates to be included in Phase 1a vaccination group, governor s office says KATU Staff UP NEXT
Governor Kate Brown s office says that inmates in Oregon prisons will move into Phase 1a prioritization for the COVID-19 vaccine.
In a statement to KATU News, the governor s office says the state will not appeal the judge s decision and will prepare to get adults in custody vaccinated as soon as possible:
With the court’s ruling requiring an accelerated timeline and making clear that vaccinations must be offered to adults in custody with Phase 1a prioritization, we will move ahead with a weekly approach that will integrate adults in custody into our Phase 1a distribution plans. We do not anticipate that these adjustments will alter our timelines for beginning Phase 1b vaccinations, including vaccines for educators or seniors however that is dependent on the weekly vaccine supplies we receive from the federal government.
Judge orders state to offer all Oregon prisoners COVID vaccine KATU Staff UP NEXT
A federal judge ordered the Oregon Department of Corrections on Tuesday to offer a COVID-19 vaccine to all prison inmates immediately.
More than 40 inmates have died of COVID-19 in Oregon prisons. More than 3,000 inmates have tested positive for the virus.
“This will be a tremendous relief to so many people inside and their loved ones,” the Oregon Justice Resource Center tweeted.
Read the Ruling:
The center
filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of seven prisoners against the DOC, Gov. Kate Brown and others last spring, saying they weren’t doing enough to protect inmates from being infected with the disease.