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.”
Detainees at Strafford County jail cope with COVID outbreak
DOVER The number of symptomatic people has increased by two inside the Strafford County House of Corrections but the total number of cases linked to the jail’s COVID-19 outbreak remains unchanged, jail administrators said Wednesday.
However, Superintendent Chris Brackett said the total number of active COVID-19 cases amongst people held at the facility has grown by one to 17, thanks to a new arrival who has tested positive. The results for that individual, a county inmate who was administered a PCR test when they arrived on Dec. 13, came back Wednesday.
Brackett said that individual’s case isn’t considered part of his facility’s outbreak.