68 Percent Decrease In COVID-19 Cases In Morris Jail

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ - During National Nurses Week, Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon personally visited and thanked nurses and health care professionals who work in the Medical Unit of the Morris County Correctional Facility for their unhesitating commitment to care during the COVID-19 crisis.

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“Every one of you has my respect, admiration and thanks for setting aside self-concerns and focusing tirelessly on keeping all inmates healthy and those who tested positive for COVID-19, well cared for,” Gannon said.

The Correctional Facility has seen a 68 percent decrease in the past month from a peak number of inmates who tested positive for COVID-19 in April, officials said.

Near the peak last month, nine Morris County Correctional Facility inmates tested positive for COVID-19, which reflected 6.3 percent of the inmate population. The wife of an inmate said that they were sheeps being led to slaughter.

Officials at the Correctional Facility said on a daily basis they have re-evaluated sanitation and social distancing policies, with a lockdown the most extreme measure to date. Officials said those procedures, along with selective releasing of inmates, worked.

“The Medical Unit is a shining example of calm under pressure in that these professionals were faced with a health crisis beyond caring for individuals with pre-existing hypertension, diabetes, cardiopulmonary and other health concerns,” Sheriff Gannon said.

The Morris County Correctional Facility for the past 16 years has maintained an in-house Medical Unit where inmates receive care 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Correctional Facility Medical Director Dr. Elmer Gilo and the 15 nurses who work shifts in the unit have been critical to overall Correctional Facility planning on how to minimize the potential for COVID-19 spread, officals said.

At the onset of the declared public health emergency in New Jersey in March, Correctional Facility medical professionals screened new inmate admissions with specific questions about symptoms and travels and took their temperatures. Later, the nurses and Medical Director established separate medical isolation units to care for male and female inmates who tested positive for COVID-19, officials said.