CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — The Nevada Department of Corrections has taken additional measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 within prisons, including ordering the first hospital-grade disinfectant fogger for a correctional center in Carson City, health officials said.
The department has ordered additional machines to be distributed that can be used to sanitize common areas and individual cells, officials said.
The department has also changed protocols regarding the use of personal protective equipment and is requiring all staff to wear N95 masks while within 6 feet (2 meters) of inmates for more than 15 minutes, officials said.
The state is working with the department to secure N95 masks for all staff and inmates.
Department Medical Director Dr. Michael Minev said inmates who have tested positive for COVID-19 or who were potentially exposed are being separated by way of isolation “due to the rapid rise of COVID-19 infection within our facilities.”
The department is also going to pair staff who have recovered from the coronavirus with inmates who have not yet contracted the virus or who are among those most at risk.