Gov. Justice orders all corrections facility inmates and employees statewide to be tested for COVID-19

As a result of the recent developments at the Huttonsville facility, Gov. Justice also announced Thursday that he has ordered all inmates and employees at every corrections facility across West Virginia to be tested for COVID-19 as soon as possible, as a precautionary measure in efforts to curtail the spread of the virus.

“We have enough testing capability, so we’re going to test everyone in all of our prison facilities,” Gov. Justice said. “So we are running to that fire and we are going to take care of it.”

Secretary Jeff Sandy of the newly-codified West Virginia Department of Homeland Security reported during his remarks Thursday that the current number of inmates, employees, and contractors within the State’s correctional facilities is 13,966.

“The Governor has stated that he wants all corrections facilities tested,” Sec. Sandy said. “We worked into the late hours last night with the DHHR, our healthcare providers, local health departments, and the West Virginia National Guard to lay out how we are going to accomplish that.”

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