09 Jul COVID-19 Updates
COVID-19 Updates
PAGE UPDATED: 03/14/2022
GENERAL OVERVIEW:
The Utah Department of Corrections (UDC) is working collaboratively with state partners to address Coronavirus in Utah.
The safety of incarcerated individuals or those on supervision, along with our staff, volunteers and others who interact directly with our Department, is paramount.
As Coronavirus cases in Utah continue to increase, please know that we have outbreak strategies in place, which include prompt medical care and testing, and quarantining or isolating staff or incarcerated individuals. These updates will be shared via this webpage and social media.
For more information on the virus, and for state-related updates, please visit the website:
https://coronavirus.utah.gov/.
In March 2021, the Utah Health Emergency Response Team (UHERT) visited the Utah State Prison in Draper and the Central Utah Correctional Facility in Gunnison to review current COVID-19 operating procedures. You can see the report here: https://corrections.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/UHERT_Prison_Summary_2.pdf
THE NUMBERS:
Total Confirmed Offender Cases to Date by Location
*State and county jail incarcerated individuals are tracked together and totals would need to be requested from each county jail.
**At this time, the University of Utah Hospital requires that any inmate being transported to a hospital for any kind of care to be tested for COVID-19.
**Starting May 20, 2020, prison intakes will be limited to Wednesdays. These will include intakes from all county jails and from Adult Probation & Parole. In direct consultation with local health officials, it was decided that these individuals will be in a cohort together for two weeks, and will each be tested for COVID-19 within 24-48 hours of arrival. Those who decline to be tested will be placed in a designated, separate area for two weeks. Please note that this increase in testing each week will reflect a spike in the overall number of inmates tested at the Utah State Prison in Draper and possibly a marginal increase at the Central Utah Correctional Facility in Gunnison.
Updated: 04/12/2022
Staff Cases
Total Confirmed Staff Cases: 939
Recovered: 940
Updated: 04/05/2022
LATEST UPDATES:
January 18, 2022
As of January 18, there are 90 active cases of COVID-19 at the Utah State Prison (USP) in Draper and 42 active cases at the Central Utah Correctional Facility (CUCF) in Gunnison. Outbreaks are currently present at the Promontory Facility at the Utah State Prison in Draper, and Hickory and Dogwood at the Central Utah Correctional Facility in Gunnison. Other areas at both facilities may be on quarantine due to COVID-19 exposure, including Timpanogos, Wasatch and the Uintas, and Ironwood at the Central Utah Correctional Facility in Gunnison.
There are also active cases of COVID-19 at all community correctional centers: six active cases at the Fortitude Treatment Center, eight active cases at the Atherton Community Correctional Center, six active cases at the Bonneville Community Correctional Center, five active cases at Northern Utah Community Correctional Center and five active cases at the Orange Street Community Correctional Center.
Individuals are being housed appropriately based on quarantine and isolation protocols. Please note that out-of-cell time may be greatly limited in areas most impacted by the recently confirmed cases.
The Department continues to review each case and offer recommended treatment for COVID-19 positive individuals; generally treatment includes rest and over the counter medications to decrease symptoms. The COVID-19 vaccine and the booster shots are continuing to be offered to incarcerated individuals at the Utah State Prison in Draper and the Central Utah Correctional Facility in Gunnison, including all intakes.
Incarcerated individuals who have not been vaccinated can request a vaccination by submitting an Inmate Care Request form (ICR), which is available in their housing units. Vaccination rates are anywhere from 60 to 92 percent depending on the facility. For example, the Oquirrh 5 facility where many of our most medically fragile are housed is at a 92 percent vaccination rate.
Vaccines and other treatments are not mandatory but are offered and encouraged.
UDC continues to work with state and local health officials regarding COVID-19 protocols. The Department continues to adhere to CDC protocols.
As a reminder, the Department provides on-site medical care through the Clinical Services Bureau, which operates infirmaries at both the Utah State Prison and the Central Utah Correctional Facility. The infirmaries offer comprehensive, on-site medical care where medical staff can treat or stabilize inmates needing health care. Mental health services are also available to incarcerated individuals as needed.
The Bureau also contracts with outside hospitals and clinics for treatment of seriously ill inmates who require advanced medical care or require evaluation or care from a specialist. Any incarcerated individual who exhibits concerning symptoms outside the resources of our medical providers will receive care at a nearby hospital.
Our medical staff are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In areas of an outbreak our medical staff have an active presence on those units at least twice a day to check-in with incarcerated individuals. Individuals who are already medically compromised (outside of COVID-19), have standardly had a greater medical presence and are actively monitored.
Any incarcerated individual that communicates any discomfort will be given access to medications required or any other treatment required. As a reminder, the only way to share an incarcerated individual’s medical information with a family member is through an Authorization to Formally Discuss Health Information Form. Incarcerated individuals can request this form from their housing officer or case manager.
We will continue to provide updates as information becomes available.
If you have additional questions, please contact the Department’s COVID-19 Hotline at 801-545-5505 or email corrections@utah.gov. Please expect that your call will go to a recording system, but we ask that you please leave a detailed message and we will get back to you as soon as we possibly can.
January 10, 2022: In-person Hearings Temporarily Suspended
Due to public health concerns surrounding COVID-19, in-person hearings at either of Utah’s prison sites have been suspended. Individuals will still be able to listen to live broadcasts as hearings occur at the following address: https://bop.utah.gov/hearings_
January 6, 2022_In-person visiting suspended
In the wake of increasing COVID-19 cases in Utah, in-person visiting has been suspended at both the Utah State Prison and Central Utah Correctional Facility.
Officials with the Utah Department of Corrections do not anticipate that this will be a long-term suspension.
If you have scheduled a visiting appointment, please do not show up. Our visiting team is attempting to make contact with those who have scheduled an appointment.
As positive test results in the community have skyrocketed recently, so too have the number of cases increased among inmates and UDC staff members. Despite adhering to COVID-19 protocols based on CDC recommendations and in coordination with state and local health officials, COVID-19 is pervasive and still manages to find its way into UDC facilities. Several housing units at both facilities are currently on quarantine status.
The latest strain — Omicron — is considered more contagious than prior strains. As prisons are considered a congregate living environment this oftentimes requires lengthier isolation and quarantine protocols then what is standardly seen in the community for both staff and the incarcerated.
Please note that these measures are put in place with careful consideration and in close collaboration with state and local health officials.
The Department will continue to provide regular updates on its website and on social media.
Contact
Have specific questions regarding COVID-19 and your incarcerated family member or friend?
Please contact our hotline at 801-545-5505.
