concerns over reintegration of “cured” covid-19 patients into housing units amidst lack of access to cleaning and PPE

Jason* says that pod workers told his pod that a different pod in his housing unit had a verified COVID-19 patient who was apparently “cured” and sent back to that pod after spending some time in the infirmary. Jason is concerned and does not think that inmate should have re-entered the unit. He says they are still doing split tier pod time and meal time. He says his pod is not quarantined. They passed out disposable masks a week ago, but have not received new ones. Staff will come around offering cleaning supplies during pod time, but often, inmates don’t want to use them since they look very dirty and have just been used on plenty of other cells. Additionally, many folks are busy making calls during pod time, so they don’t get the chance to accept the cleaning supplies. Jason still has a cellmate – it’s impossible to stay 6 feet apart from him. Most people still have cellmates. Inmates have no gloves. They passed out one bar of soap per inmate in his pod last week, but they haven’t gotten a new one. Inmates are expected to use this soap for hand washing as well. At first, Jason says, inmates were all given the good hand wipes that say they kill almost all germs and then staff started to hand out cheaper looking hand wipes, but now he hasn’t seen any hand wipes since last week. Jason is interested in signing on to the class action/group grievance.

*Name has been changed.

Jason* says that pod workers told his pod that a different pod in his housing unit had a verified COVID-19 patient who was apparently “cured” and sent back to that pod after spending some time in the infirmary. Jason is concerned and does not think that inmate should have re-entered the unit.

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