FRAMINGHAM – There are now 66 inmates positive for COVID-19 at MCI Framingham, the most of any Commonwealth of Massachusetts facility.
On Thursday, there were 28 inmates positive. Today, April 24, there are 66 inmates positive.
That is a 135.7% percent increase in the last 24 hours.
The main reason for the increase in numbers is more testing at the Department of Corrections facility.
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The Department of Corrections this week hosted mobile testing at MCI-Framingham and South Middlesex Correctional Center, where COVID-19 testing was provided to all inmates and staff. These two sites are on the same complex and house female inmates.
Mass Department of Correction said overall in its system it has tested 489 inmates in its custody, and 176 are positive for the virus. Thus about 35% of those tested have been positive.
The Department is prepared to act quickly based on the outcome of test results; as at all facilities, MCI-Framingham and South Middlesex Correctional Center have designated spaces for clinical isolation and quarantine of inmates who test positive.
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“The Department of Correction continues to take proactive steps including expanded COVID-19 testing in our ongoing strategic efforts to identify, trace, and prevent transmission. The DOC, and our contracted medical provider, Wellpath, are focused on reducing, to the greatest degree possible, the impact of the virus on inmates, staff and others within our walls,” said its spokesperson to SOURCE on Friday night.
The Department of Corrections (DOC) is working with Wellpath, its medical provider, on strategic planning for similar testing at additional DOC facilities to better identify trends and suppress transmission.
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As of April 24, 14 Corrections staff are positive for the coronavirus at MCI-Framingham. On April 15, there were 10 staffers who were positive at MCI-Framingham.
MCI- Shirley has 15 staffers positive and MCI-Cedar Junction in Walpole has 11 staffers who are positive for the virus, as of April 24.
In comparison for inmates, MCI-Shirley has 47 inmates positive and Massachusetts Treatment Center has 44 inmates positive.
Overall, Mass Department of Corrections is reporting 78 staff and 28 others who work at the system as positive for the virus as of Friday, April 24.
The Department said it has more than 7,000 individual criminally sentenced in the system, and another 361 who are civilly committed and 60 pre-trial detainees,in the system.
Representative Jack Lewis 
MassBay Community College 
MetroWest Medical Center