30 New COVID Cases Reported In Massachusetts Prisons

Thirty people incarcerated in Massachusetts prisons have contracted the coronavirus, with the majority of the new cases reported inside the state's maximum security prison.

The Massachusetts Department of Correction said 29 of the 30 positive cases were reported at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center on the Shirley-Lancaster line. The remaining case was at the Massachusetts Alcohol and Substance Abuse Center (MASAC) in Plymouth. One prisoner is hospitalized with COVID-19.

In the DOC's last report to the state in July, zero cases were reported in any state prison.

A prisoner at MCI-Norfolk, who did not want his name used because of concerns about repercussions, said some men there recently were quarantined, and he must now eat meals in his cell.

Four days ago, he said, prisoners received a department memo informing them that face coverings are required for all prisoners, regardless of vaccination status, and failure to wear one could result in a disciplinary infraction. The DOC said no positive cases have been recently reported at MCI-Norfolk.

A statement from the department said face coverings are required of anyone entering a prison, and masks are provided. It also said prison medical staff make decisions about treatment, quarantine and clinical precautions.

The DOC said it will continue to encourage vaccinations, and 78% of those incarcerated are fully vaccinated, as well as 57% of correctional staff.

Twenty-one men held in state prisons have died of COVID-19 since the pandemic began.