Ohio: National Guard called to Marion prison as county coronavirus cases near 1,000

[EarthFirst]

Members of the National Guard are being trained to help at a second Ohio prison as coronavirus infections among correctional workers and prisoners continue to spread, the state prisons agency said Friday.

The 50 or so guard members will assist with “mission critical functions” at the Marion Correctional Institution, said JoEllen Smith, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. The State Highway Patrol is also helping guard the prison’s perimeter, Smith said.

The assistance comes as the number of coronavirus cases in Marion County more than doubled in a day to nearly 1,000 on Saturday. Inmate infections are included in the county's total number.

According to the Ohio Department of Health, Marion County had 983 cases of coronavirus as of 2 p.m. Saturday, up from 428 on Friday. The updated total puts Marion County at having the third most cases of any county in the state, trailing only Cuyahoga and Franklin.

https://www.mansfieldnewsjournal.com/story/news/local/2020/04/18/ohio-prison-marion-correctional-coronavirus-cases-covid-19-national-guard-called/5159921002/

[MineralMan]

1. And so it begins. Prisons, hospitals, senior care facilities and other environments

where people cannot choose how to avoid this disease are all going to be hard hit. Schools, too, so we need to keep them closed.