Staff Member At Century Prison Confirmed Positive For COVID-19

March 28, 2020

A confirmed positive COVID-19 case has been reported in an employee or contract staff member at Century Correctional Institution, according to the Florida Department of Corrections.

NorthEscambia.com first learned of the a reported COVID-19 case on Tuesday and sent numerous questions about it to the FDC. The corrections department public affairs office acknowledged most of our inquiries, but they did not confirm the case at the Century prison until late Friday. The FDC will not say if the individual is a staff member or a contract employee at the prison.

“In order to protect the personal health information of these individuals, FDC will not identify the name or occupation of the employees,” FDC said in a statement. “Staff…may be employed by FDC or one of its contractors. Any employee who is symptomatic, or who has tested positive for COVID-19, will not be allowed entry to a correctional institution. The employee will not be allowed to return to work until a full recovery is documented by a medical professional and DOH and CDC guidelines are followed. Additional questions on the above individuals (gender, age, travel status) should be directed to the Florida DOH (Florida Department of Health).”

State officials said that no inmates have tested positive at Century CI or any other prison facility in the state.

NorthEscambia.com photos.

Comments

11 Responses to “Staff Member At Century Prison Confirmed Positive For COVID-19”

  1. CO on April 1st, 2020 6:24 am

    If you think it’s the CO’s bringing covid-19 in the prison that’s fine, please contact the governor cause I would be more than happy to stay home with my family than be bothered with hardheaded grown children that’s suppose to be men…….

  2. Kelly Schwarz on March 31st, 2020 12:36 pm

    Loved one:
    You are very uninformed to be publically commenting on this subject. All inmates have access to medical. If they are indigent and cannot pay the $5 copay, then the copay is waived. And after 25 years of working for that outfit, (14 of which I was in the administration), I can assure you that the FDC is doing the absolute best it can to keep the inmates healthy, because the last thing they want is an outbreak.

  3. Praying for a world healing on March 29th, 2020 2:45 pm

    Loved One,
    I have no qualms against inmates, they are doing their time and hopefully paying their debt to society.
    But I will say yes inmates pay a co-pay for their medical. I only wish my co-pay was just $5.
    El’Bey-Advocate for the incarcerated,
    As for COs or Staff bringing in the virus to the inmates I’m pretty sure they try not to touch them (that is why visitation has been cancelled, because that can’t be said about visitors)!

  4. Loved One on March 29th, 2020 7:30 am

    @DW…I never said anything about ON DEMAND TESTING. If you re-read my comment it says “if we on the outside are having such a hard time getting tested I imagine it would be harder for them”. Some people are upset that inmates get free medical and dental care because they are locked up. It’s not free. They pay a copay to see a doctor just like we do and it comes from money that their family sends them. If they dont receive money they dont pay..just like out here. We need to meet certain qualifications to be tested out here and they do also. I would like to see the statistics of how many employees were tested at facilities where they have had a positive covig19 case versus inmate testing at the same facility. That would be interesting but we will never see that report. Inmates are not insignificant because they are locked up. Many have turned their lives around and are better people than when they were first locked up. Most have family that love them. They didnt take the covig19 into the facilities and they locked the prisons down so only one place for them to get it from.

  5. Wondering on March 29th, 2020 6:56 am

    @Loved One
    The article said no other employees or inmates have tested positive, using common sense here and not being prejudice one way or the other, doesn’t it make sense that all are being watched carefully to keep a major outbreak from happening there? Nobody said the inmates don’t deserve to be tested, but you. Sometimes our attitudes bring on the bad responses from others. I’m sure if one of them start showing signs, they to will get tested, as well.

  6. David Huie Green on March 29th, 2020 1:53 am

    REGARDING:
    “P.S….dont give me none of that “they dont deserve to be tested because they are in there..blag blah””

    Notice so far no one has said they don’t deserve to be tested. There isn’t a lot of pity, though, because we figure most of them have preyed on others or we wouldn’t bother to incarcerate them. The fact that you accuse US says much. I’ve had neighbors who had to work HARD to finally get sent to prison.

    We DO, however, want them healthy because treating them is expensive and they endanger the lives of others if infected. We also know most have not been convicted of anything considered worthy of the death penalty.

    David for better people
    and health to all regardless

  7. DW on March 28th, 2020 11:04 pm

    To “Loved One”: there is no ON-DEMAND testing going on anywhere in the country, only through the medical protocols of health-care professionals. Florida’s correctional facilities have medical personnel on the grounds 24 hours a day, available literally IN MINUTES to assess every medical emergency possible. Any inmate with fever and shortness-of-breath will be seen by an RN sooner than you or I could drive to the closest ER . . . to wait in line. You “imagine” wrong!

  8. El'Bey- Advocate for those incarcerated on March 28th, 2020 7:33 pm

    It doesnt matter if they are in prison or not, they are still human beings. One thing doesnt have to do with the other. Its sad that even in this time there still isn’t any compasion for others. Yes, I have family in prison, and yes I will always support him. Far as the medical care, no they do not receive better medical care than those on the outside, and I know this for a fact. I will say it again, it does not matter that they are incarcerated, they are still human beings and they have family that loves them. Its the CO’s that have brought the Covid-19 in the prison, not those already there. Check the ego please!

  9. Former CO on March 28th, 2020 4:29 pm

    Loved one, No one put them there but themselves. Be pissed with them not the officers. Maybe if loved ones cared so much before incarceration as as after they might not be in prison. No pity from me. Trust me they get better medical care then the rest of us!

  10. Just me on March 28th, 2020 12:16 pm

    Loved one why wouldn’t they? Theyre not in there alone, who do you think takes care of them? If they show symptoms they would be tested.

  11. Loved One on March 28th, 2020 6:56 am

    No inmates have tested positive because they won’t test the inmates. As of right now they are locked down 60 to 85 to a quad and if we have difficulty on the outside to get tested then I imagine it is harder for them.
    P.S….dont give me none of that “they dont deserve to be tested because they are in there..blag blah”