COVID-19: Over 800 inmates, 25 staff test positive at one California prison complex

Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, one prison in the United States has reported that over 800 prisoners have tested positive for the coronavirus. According to reports, in addition to over 800 inmates, 25 members of the prison staff at the Lompoc Federal Correctional Complex in California's Santa Barbara County have also tested positive for COVID-19.

Prison facilities compromised

As per reports, the data was released by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) on May 8. The prison in Lompoc, California comprises two facilities, FCI Lompoc, which is a low-security correctional institution with approximately 1,200 inmates and USP Lompoc which is a medium-security US penitentiary that houses 1,542 inmates.

According to reports, the majority of positive cases are from FCI Lompoc facility, 792 inmates out of the 1,162 total inmates have tested positive for the coronavirus. This accounts for 68 per cent of the facility’s total population. In addition, 31 inmates have also tested positive in the neighbouring USP Lompoc complex.

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Coronavirus in the US

Trump on May 7 said he will be tested daily for coronavirus after a US Navy member who is part of his personal valet tested positive for the disease. According to reports, the US President along with vice president Mike Pence and certain high-level White House officials will now be tested for COVID-19 infection on a daily basis.

Trump has been facing a lot of criticism from health experts, who feel his administration is opening up the economy too soon as the country still remains the worst affected in the world with over 78,000 deaths and more than 1.3 million cases. Trump has slammed his critics in media, who he feels are creating hysteria around the disease outbreak by spreading 'fake news'. Experts believe that Trump administration's hurry to reopen the economy is due to the upcoming presidential polls in November. According to reports, more than 3 million Americans have applied for unemployment claims so far, highest in US history.

(Representative Image)

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