38 positive for coronavirus in NYC jails, including Rikers

New York City was hit by nation’s largest coronavirus jail outbreak to date this week, with at least 38 people testing positive at torious Rikers Island jail complex, board that oversees city's jail system said Saturday.

In a letter to criminal justice leaders, Board of Correction interim chairwoman Jacqueline Sherman wrote that at least 58 or people were currently being monitored in contagious disease and quarantine units.

“It is likely se people have been in hundreds of housing areas and common areas over recent weeks and have been in close contact with many or people in custody and staff,” Sherman warned, predicting a sharp rise in number of infections.

“ best path forward to protecting community of people housed and working in jails is to rapidly decrease number of people housed and working in m.”

In past six days, she wrote, board learned that at least 12 Department of Correction employees, five Correctional Health Services employees, and 21 inmates have tested positive for virus.

city's jail ncy and its city-run healthcare provider did t respond to messs seeking comment on letter. On Friday, city's Department of Corrections said just one inmate had been diagsed with coronavirus, along with seven jail staff members.

New York has consistently downplayed number of infections, Associated Press has found in conversations with current and former inmates.

More than 2.2 million people are incarcerated in United States — more than anywhere in world — and re are growing fears that an outbreak could spread rapidly through a vast network of federal and state prisons, county jails and detention centers.

It’s a tightly packed, fluid population that is already grappling with high rates of health problems and, when it comes to elderly and intern, elevated risks of serious complications. With limited capacity nationally to test for COVID-19, men and women inside worry that y are last in line when showing flu-like symptoms, meaning that some may be infected without kwing it.

first positive tests from inside prisons and jails started tricking out just over a week ago, with less than two dozen officers and staff infected in or facilities from California and Michigan to Pennsylvania.

For most people, new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and even death.

vast majority of people recover from virus. According to World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe cases may take three to six weeks to recover.