Rochester Federal Prison facility imports Coronavirus cases

Inmates shipped in from Federal Hot spot

More days of this heat wave we have left./// thank you for joining us for kimt news 3 at ten.

I'm george mallet.

First tonight.

Our nation's prisons have become nothing short of hotspots for the coronavirus ?

"* because it's nearly impossible to stay socially distant in the lockup.

Two federal medical center employees tell kimt news 3, the bureau of prisons shipped inmates from a known hotspot to the prison here in rochester.

Kimt news three's isabella basco joins us live now with those employees' concerns ?

"* isabella?

Xxx george according to an employee here at the federal medical center ?

"* there are 7 inmates here infected with coronavirus.

6 of them came from grady county ?

"* in oklahoma.

Xxx "it's impossible to social distance from a prison ?

"* most of our inmates live or share rooms or dorms anywhere from 2 to 20 inmates could live in a dorm or area at the same time."

The federal medical center has a high number of people living close together with underlying health conditions compared to a standard prison.

Bill axford is a teacher at fmc and a local union president.

He's fearful the virus could spread like wildfire.

"it's not contained to the prison, staff members go home at night, they go to the grocery store, they go to the gas station, they go to church with the community."

Sandy parr ?

"* the national vie president for the council of prisons office ?

"* claims the bureau of prisons transferred inmates with known positive cases to the federal medical center.

"the bureau of prisons is actively moving this virus across state lines and they are getting away with it ?

"* ad i think that's very frustrating."

"we were doing everything right in rochester for so long, but because we had cases basically delivered to our doorstep ?

"* now the community is in danger."

I reached out to the bureau of prisons for a statement ?

"* who say in part: "it is our highest priority to continue to do everything we can to mitigate the spread of covid?

"*19 in our facilities."

"we now think about everything we do as how it will affect our own families and our own health and it's kind of worrisome to some people ?

"* especially now that it's here and it's parr also tells me the federal medical center is issuing personal protective equipment ?

"* but not the right kind.

Axford tells me you have to fight to get an n95 mask.

Live in rochester ib kimt news 3.

Thank you isabella.

The bureau of prisons also tells kimt news three it is deeply concerned for the health and welfare of the inmates ?

"* the prison staff, their families, and the communities they work