16 Residents At Baltimore Residential Reentry Center In Quarantine After Covid Exposure
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A resident of the Volunteers of America Chesapeake and Carolinas' Residential Reentry Center in Baltimore tested positive Monday for Covid-19. That resident and 15 others who had close contact with the resident and shared the same facilities are in quarantine for the next 10 to 14 days, according to a VOACC statement.
Residents with a residence approved by the Federal Bureau of Prisons for home confinement were placed on medical furlough and sent home. Residents who lacked an approved residence are being housed by a Baltimore City-approved and designated site.
The Baltimore City Health Department will administer coronavirus tests for the residents that were moved to the offsite location before they return to the RRC. Residents on home confinement also will be vaccinated after five to 10 days of quarantine.
According to an RRC statement, the RRC has implemented the following measures since March 2020 to reduce the spread of Covid-19 among residents and staff:
- 85 percent of residents with a Federal Bureau of Prisons-approved residence were placed on home confinement to ensure proper social distancing at the RRC facility;
- Onsite, the number of residents per room has been reduced from eight to four;
- All staff and residents are required to wear masks and personal protective equipment, and hand sanitizer is available throughout the facility;
- All movement of residents outside of the RRC is restricted to essential appointments and must be preapproved;
- Residents re-entering the facility are routinely screened;
- Visitation by the public to the facility has been restricted;
- RRC facilities are sanitized on a daily basis;
- The staff regularly assesses residents for signs and symptoms of the virus;
- Staff who show any signs of sickness are immediately sent home.
The agency's Volunteers of America Hope Center, with locations in Baltimore and Prince George's County, has partnered with Walgreens to administer the coronavirus vaccine to staff and residents in its programs, but said in the statement vaccinations are voluntary and some residents have declined the vaccine. The staff continues to educate residents on the importance of the vaccine and is partnering with the Baltimore Health Department to administer additional vaccines to residents on Friday.
RRC is a 52,000 square-foot facility that helps men and women released from prison transition back into society. VOACC is a faith-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to empower self-reliance and inspire hope.
For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.
