×

Franklin County struggles to verify prison COVID numbers

Coronavirus (Image provided by U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Franklin County Public Health reported 16 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday and 17 on Sunday, bringing the current total number of active cases to 152.

On Saturday there were 859 people in the county quarantining after coming in contact with a positive individual or in isolation after testing positive.

On Saturday 15 cases were resolved, meaning the individuals recovered or were discharged. No cases were reported resolved Sunday.

Of the 934 cumulative confirmed positive cases in Franklin County since the start of the pandemic, 774 have been resolved. There have been eight deaths of COVID-19-related complications.

On Sunday 37 inmates at Bare Hill Correctional Facility were reported to be in isolation, meaning they tested positive for COVID-19. One inmate at Upstate Correctional was in isolation.

On Saturday Franklin County Manager Donna Kissane initially reported COVID-19 numbers at the Franklin, Bare Hill and Upstate state prisons in Malone, before later rescinding those numbers, citing discrepancies between the county’s numbers and the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision’s.

“I have a team who has spent several days trying to understand the discrepancies between what we are reporting and what is on the (DOCCS) website and after I’ve reviewed further, they do not make sense to me,” Kissane wrote in an email. “I would suggest at this point, I try to get further clarification from DOCCS on Monday and will use the website.”

The DOCCS website does not update its inmate COVID-19 numbers reliably. The last date DOCCS reported COVID-19 numbers was Dec. 31, 2020.

This data does not identify current versus cumulative COVID-19 cases and does not include numbers of quarantined inmates.

Data shows 107 “total positive” cases at Bare Hill Correctional Facility, with 33 pending tests and 65 recovered individuals.

Upstate Correctional reports 23 total positive cases with 45 pending tests and 14 recovered individuals.

Franklin Correctional reports three total positive cases with 46 pending tests and two recovered individuals.

The Federal Correctional Institute at Ray Brook is in the midst of a COVID-19 outbreak with 38 inmates confirmed as positive Sunday, according to Federal Bureau of Prisons data, and no staff positive.

Essex County does not update its COVID-19 numbers over the weekend, so there were no new numbers to report Sunday.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.75/week.

Subscribe Today