Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Coronavirus outbreak reported at Maryland psychiatric hospital, officials say
Baltimore Sun
MAR 30, 2020 | 9:48 AM
There has been an outbreak of the new coronavirus at the Clifton T. Perkins psychiatric hospital in Howard County, county health officials said Monday.
“We do have an outbreak at Perkins that involves both health care workers and patients," Lisa DeHernandez, spokeswoman for the Howard County Health Department, wrote in an email.
“We are in the early stages of investigation, so the numbers of positive cases are very fluid,” DeHernandez wrote. “Thus, I don’t have an exact number at this time.”
Located in Jessup, the facility serves as Maryland’s maximum security state psychiatric hospital.
Patrick Moran, president of AFSCME Council 3, which represents some of the employees inside the facility, said the outbreak is indicative of a larger issue with how the state is handling some essential employees.
While Gov. Larry Hogan has signed executive orders closing restaurants, bars and other businesses while restricting crowd size to 10 people or less, some have said the governor has not done enough to protect essential state employees in Maryland’s prisons and hospitals.
Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby joined medical professionals and advocacy groups last week in calling for elderly and low-risk prisoners to be released, in part to lower the risk of exposure to the coronavirus for prison guards and corrections officers.
“We have been warning the administration about this happening for weeks,” Moran said.
“We do have an outbreak at Perkins that involves both health care workers and patients," Lisa DeHernandez, spokeswoman for the Howard County Health Department, wrote in an email.
“We are in the early stages of investigation, so the numbers of positive cases are very fluid,” DeHernandez wrote. “Thus, I don’t have an exact number at this time.”
Located in Jessup, the facility serves as Maryland’s maximum security state psychiatric hospital.
Patrick Moran, president of AFSCME Council 3, which represents some of the employees inside the facility, said the outbreak is indicative of a larger issue with how the state is handling some essential employees.
While Gov. Larry Hogan has signed executive orders closing restaurants, bars and other businesses while restricting crowd size to 10 people or less, some have said the governor has not done enough to protect essential state employees in Maryland’s prisons and hospitals.
Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby joined medical professionals and advocacy groups last week in calling for elderly and low-risk prisoners to be released, in part to lower the risk of exposure to the coronavirus for prison guards and corrections officers.
“We have been warning the administration about this happening for weeks,” Moran said.
A little more at link: https://www.baltimoresun.com/coronavirus/bs-md-clifton-perkins-coronavirus-outbreak-20200330-2dcditogordwbew7yzvkve4gj4-story.html
Thanks to the Baltimore Sun for suspending its paywall for Coronavirus-related coverage.
2 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
