CoreCivic has received the results from last week's facility-wide inmate and staff testing at Silverdale Detention Center (SDC) in Chattanooga, TN. Staff testing includes both employees, HCSO employees assigned to the facility and contractors.
"The health and safety of the individuals entrusted to our care and our staff is the top priority for CoreCivic," said Keith Ivens, M.D., CoreCivic's Chief Medical Officer. "This commitment is shared by our partners at the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) and we have worked closely together with HCSO and state health officials to respond to this unprecedented situation appropriately, thoroughly and with care for the well-being of those entrusted to us and our communities."
CoreCivic is coordinating with the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) on the mass testing strategy at Silverdale. The results of this testing at the facility will help inform additional decisions and efforts to cohort and quarantine those inmates who are positive or might have been exposed to the virus.
Inmate and staff testing at Silverdale was conducted Wednesday, June 10 – Friday, June 12, 2020. The results are as follows:
|
Inmate Testing |
Staff Testing |
|
Total inmates tested: 711 |
Total employees tested: 204 |
|
Total negative results: 693 |
Total negative results: 204 |
|
Total positive results: 15 (+3 released prior to results received/notifications complete) |
Total positive results: 0 |
|
Pending tests: 0 |
Testing required: 19 (Unavailable for Testing) |
Human resources is currently coordinating with employees who were not available for testing (i.e. not on duty, vacation) this week to ensure testing has been completed before they are permitted to enter the facility.
Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Hammond stated, “Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our corrections staff have worked diligently with CoreCivic to follow CDC and local health department guidelines in order to mitigate potential exposure to COVIDS-19 at Silverdale Detention Facility. Those who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in our care have been quarantined in a separate area of the facility in order to mitigate further exposure."
All of the inmates and staff were asymptomatic at the time of testing. Prior to mass testing, zero inmates at SDC exhibited symptoms of COVID-19. This is consistent with other correctional systems, which are reporting that 96 percent of inmates who tested positive are asymptomatic. [1]
Prior to this round of employee and contractor testing, there was one confirmed COVID-19 case among SDC staff. This employee is self-isolating at home and in regular communication with their healthcare provider. The facility is currently conducting contact tracing for all staff and inmates.
The rate of infection at SDC is approximately 2.5%, which is well below what is being reported by other correctional systems nationally. For example, more than 70 percent of inmates tested at Federal Bureau of Prisons facilities have received positive results.[2]
We greatly appreciate our dedicated employees for their heroic efforts to keep those in our care, each other, and our communities safe during these unprecedented times.
“I want to reassure those who may have family or friends incarcerated in Silverdale that we are doing everything in our power to ensure their safety and well-being during this pandemic,” noted Sheriff Jim Hammond.
For detailed information on CoreCivic's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we encourage you to visit our COVID-19 Response tab that we launched on our website. Our media statement can be found here.
[1] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-prisons-testing-in/in-four-u-s-state-prisons-nearly-3300-inmates-test-positive-for-coronavirus-96-without-symptoms-idUSKCN2270RX
[2] https://apnews.com/fb43e3ebc447355a4f71e3563dbdca4f