32 New COVID-19 Cases Confirmed at Louisiana ICE Facility
As the number of positive COVID-19 cases continues to skyrocket across the country, more and more governments (both state and local) are doing their best to lock folks down without totally destroying the economy. To say it's a delicate balance is a pretty hefty understatement.
It's stands to reason that if you had total control of when folks came and went, what they had to wear, and honestly their entire schedule - you should be able to corral this virus, right? If the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency's Pine Prairie Processing Center just south of Alexandria is the example we're using - this hypothesis is incorrect. The ICE center is in full on crisis mode after positive COVID-19 cases jumped from 2 on Sunday to a whopping 32 on Monday! That's a 16-fold increase in 24 hours!
According to the report from WWNO, that's the "highest current number of confirmed cases at any Louisiana facility as of Monday." Officials at the center reportedly tested an entire dorm (50 people) after several detainees reported losing the sensation of taste and smell. Although these are symptoms associated with a COVID-19 infection, testing everyone was a departure from normal ICE policy which had been reserving tests for those who showed more obvious symptoms like high fever and a persistent cough.
Although authorities have "locked down" those 50 (who are likely all infected by now) in the same unit. Unfortunately, several detainees had meetings with lawyers and other officials before the outbreak was discovered. Those who have come in contact with someone who may have been infected are being contacted and tested in hopes of containing the crisis.