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DOVER New Hampshire health officials declared the Strafford County House of Corrections’ COVID-19 outbreak over on Tuesday, roughly two months and 148 positive cases after the outbreak began.
The good news doesn’t mean the jail will fully let its guard down, though, according to Superintendent Chris Brackett especially not when 18 people held at the jail recently submitted a joint letter outlining concerns about the way in which the facility has handled the outbreak.
“We’re taking this exceptionally seriously,” Brackett said of both his facility’s approach to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and how his facility is treating the concerns outlined in the letter. “My job would be much, much easier if I didn’t have to contend with COVID, and so anything I can do to keep COVID out of the facility is stuff we’re going to explore.”
Our Turn: A titanic failure of leadership
Published: 12/24/2020 6:00:47 AM
‘I cannot imagine any condition which would cause a ship to founder. I cannot conceive of any vital disaster happening to this vessel. Modern shipbuilding has gone beyond that.” (Edward Smith, captain of the Titanic)
Epic failures, like the sinking of the Titanic, are the result of negligence on the part of the leaders, not the sentinels. That was the case in the sinking of the Titanic on April 14, 1912, and it is just as true in 2020 with the coronavirus pandemic.
Captain Edward Smith had plenty of warnings about icebergs prior to the fateful collision. Those warnings came from reliable reports from other ships in the area and finally from his own alert lookouts. Failure to heed those warnings cost the life of Captain Smith as well as most of the passengers on board the Titanic.
Letter: Protecting the jail population
Published: 12/22/2020 12:02:33 AM
Dear Strafford County Commissioners: The press reports that 16 detainees and three jail employees have tested positive for COVID-19, and that, in an effort to prevent further contagion, all detainees are confined to their cells 23 hours a day.
Superintendent Chris Brackett has said, “My main concern is keeping those in our custody safe, to keep my staff safe, and get through this with as minimal impact as possible.” His purposes are excellent.
However, keeping those who are in custody “safe” includes protecting their mental health as well as their physical health. While confinement to a cell protects physical health by controlling the spread of the virus, it is well known to be destructive to mental health.
DOVER The Strafford County House of Corrections now has 29 detainees and 5 correctional officers who have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the latest test results shared by the facility’s superintendent.
One additional officer was exhibiting mild symptoms, but test results for that individual weren’t back as of 4 p.m. Friday, according to Superintendent Chris Brackett.
Brackett said his staff continue to carefully manage the jail’s outbreak first announced Tuesday and everyone’s safety. The facility s outbreak management includes strict testing protocols to using negative pressure rooms to quarantine symptomatic individuals.
As the staff cases increase, so too is the overtime being used to cover open shifts, according to Brackett. One employee has recovered and is eligible to return to duty, but as of Friday afternoon Strafford County was still short 25 shifts a week because of the five others who are still out on COVID leave.