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Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates
Page updated 06/29/2021
Visit coronavirus.utah.gov for statewide information.
See updates below in the “Latest Update” section for more information regarding outbreaks at the Utah State Prison in Draper and the Central Utah Correctional Facility in Gunnison.
Have specific questions regarding COVID-19 and your incarcerated family member or friend?
Please contact our hotline at 801-545-5505.
Please contact our hotline at 801-545-5505.
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UTAH RESPONSE:
The Utah Department of Corrections (UDC) is working collaboratively with state partners — including the Lieutenant Governor’s task force — 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/.
Learn more extensively about the many steps UDC has taken to ensure the safety and health of incarcerated individuals and those on supervision with the Department here: https://le.utah.gov/interim/2020/pdf/00002842.pdf
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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 06/25/2021 (COVID-19 case counts will be updated at least once per week).
Total Confirmed Staff Cases: 416
Total Recovered Staff Cases: 411
Updated 06/29/2021
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LATEST UPDATES:
06/18/2021
Three staff members working in the Olympus Facility at the Utah State Prison in Draper have tested positive for COVID-19. The facility has been placed on quarantine. Visiting, and volunteer and religious services have been cancelled for the weekend.
Testing will be initiated. Only a few individuals out of the 124 incarcerated individuals housed at the Olympus Facility have not received a COVID-19 vaccination. All incarcerated individuals have been offered the COVID-19 vaccine.
More than 70 percent of incarcerated individuals have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the Utah State Prison in Draper.
06/16/2021
Beginning June 18, 2021, the Utah Department of Corrections will resume in-person visitation.
Each inmate will be allowed one (1) 40-minute in-person visit or one (1) 30-minute tablet visit per month. Visits must be scheduled in advanced and can be done here.
Loved ones wishing to visit in person must follow our normal visiting rules and those needed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
To facilitate a safe visiting process, up to two (2) visitors at a time will be allowed. The following requirements will also need to be met by all visitors:
- Will need to be 18 and above
- Live in the same household (must be verified)
- Must not have been out of the country in the last 30 days
- Must not have been around anyone with Covid-19 for the last 14 days
- Must have a temperature less than 100 degrees when arriving on prison property
- Must wear a mask
- No physical contact between inmates and visitors will be permitted
Due to the closure over the last year, please verify that you have current approval to visit by contacting the facility.
If you have any questions, please contact 801-576-7013.
Click here to see the video and in-person visiting schedules and to schedule a visit.
Learn more about video visiting here: https://corrections.utah.gov/index.php/2014-10-30-20-13-24/14-visiting-information/1264-video-visiting
06/03/2021
The Utah Office of the Medical Examiner (OME) recently released examination results for two offenders who died while in the custody of the Utah Department of Corrections.
The OME has determined that two additional fatalities were COVID-19 related.
The total number of COVID-related deaths now stands at 18 incarcerated individuals, housed either at the Utah State Prison (USP) in Draper or the Central Utah Correctional Facility in Gunnison (CUCF). Many of the 18 had other complicating comorbidities listed in the OME reports as contributing to their death.
In an effort to respect and maintain individual’s private medical information, UDC will not be releasing specific information on the additional deaths. However, both occurred in December 2020.
The public website’s COVID-19 tracker has been updated to reflect the two additional COVID-19 related deaths.
05/24/2021
As of May 20, 2021, 58% percent of the state’s incarcerated population housed at either USP in Draper, CUCF in Gunnison or as a state inmate housed at a county jail, have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The Utah Department of Corrections will continue to offer vaccinations to those who would like to receive one. New intakes will be offered the COVID-19 vaccination as staffing and vaccines are available.
04/30/2021
Utah Corrections to Resume In-Person Visits and Volunteer Services in June
Utah Corrections to Resume In-Person Visits and Volunteer Services in June After more than a year, UDC will resume in-person visits and volunteer services in early June Starting in early June, in-person visiting, and volunteer and religious services, will resume at the Utah State Prison (USP) in Draper and the Central Utah Correctional Facility (CUCF) in Gunnison.
“Our incarcerated population have not seen their family in-person for more than a year,” said Brian Nielson, executive director for the Utah Department of Corrections. “Throughout this pandemic the incarcerated have shown great fortitude in adhering to COVID-19 guidelines in order to help slow the spread of the virus.”
Visits and services will roll out in a phased approach in order to adhere closely to COVID-19 protocols, including social distancing, face coverings, temperature checks and screening questions.
“We appreciate state and local health officials for their continued support and guidance on navigating the pandemic,” Nielson said. “And finally, I would be remiss if I did not thank our incredible staff who have worked diligently to make this happen, and have been nimble since the outset of the pandemic to adapt to ongoing changes.”
In March 2020, all in-person visiting was suspended and supplemented with 10 free 15-minute phone calls per week.
The Department plans to continue providing video visits when in-person visiting resumes.
For those planning in-person visits, visitor applications must be approved. Find more information here: https://corrections.utah.gov/index.php/family-friends/how-to
Volunteers can communicate with the Department’s programming division by emailing [email protected].
04/29/2021
Utah Department of Corrections Reaches COVID-19 Vaccine Milestone
As of today, all incarcerated individuals at the Utah State Prison (USP) in Draper and at the Central Utah Correctional Facility (CUCF) in Gunnison have been offered at least one COVID19 vaccination, aside from recent intakes.
More than 2,659 individuals have been fully vaccinated, which accounts for USP, CUCF and state incarcerated individuals housed at a county jail.
“In regards to the pandemic, we have reached several huge milestones for Corrections,” said Brian Nielson, executive director for the Utah Department of Corrections. “We are excited to see a gradual return to normalcy as we continue to work closely with state and local health officials on steps moving forward.”
The Utah Department of Corrections will continue to offer vaccinations to those who would like to receive one. New intakes will be offered the COVID-19 vaccination as staffing and vaccines are available.
There are no active cases of COVID-19 at either USP or CUCF.
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COMMUNICATIONS TO INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS:
October 2020 Newsletter