A staff member at the Northwest State Correctional Facility in Swanton has tested positive for COVID-19, the Vermont Department of Corrections said.
In a release sent late Wednesday, the department said the employee had “limited interactions” with the inmate population, but the worker, who was last in the facility March 25, had no such interaction in the 48 hours before showing symptoms.
No Vermont prison inmates at the Swanton facility or elsewhere have tested positive for COVID-19.
“My concern remains with the health and safety of our staff and the people in our care,” said interim Corrections Commissioner Jim Baker. “We are taking every effort to limit exposure.”
With guidance from the Health Department, officials did a deep cleaning of the area where the staffer worked and increased messaging to staff and inmates about the importance of personal hygiene, including handwashing.
As of Wednesday, Vermont had reported more than 320 positive cases of COVID-19 and 16 deaths.
