prison health

shows a woman who is demonstrating how to wear a mask for COVID prevention. A man behind her looks on.

Coronavirus Today – June 18 – Campaigning for the face mask; $3.3 million prison testing plan; Tar River floods

June 18, 2020 by Editor

Coronavirus Today – June 18 – Campaigning for the face mask; $3.3 million prison testing plan; Tar River floods - North Carolina Health News

Gov. Roy Cooper hints at a statewide mask mandate, but North Carolinians won’t know for sure until next week.

By North Carolina Health News staff In this campaign year, governor stumps for the face mask Gov. Roy Cooper has not ruled out the possibility of reinstating social distancing restrictions if the state’s hospitals look as if they will be overwhelmed with patients battling severe COVID-19 infections as admissions continue to steadily climb. What he […]

Shows a crowd of people looking at race cars in an outdoor venue

Coronavirus Today – June 9 – Action against Alamance speedway; contact tracing after the races; Governor to get tested

June 9, 2020 by Editor

Coronavirus Today – June 9 – Action against Alamance speedway; contact tracing after the races; Governor to get tested - North Carolina Health News

State takes action against Ace Speedway, saying the races and crowds put the public at ‘imminent risk.’

Alamance speedway ordered to close The Alamance County speedway that has held at least three races in defiance of Gov. Roy Cooper’s executive order limiting crowd sizes during the coronavirus pandemic challenged the state to take action against it. Now the state has. On Tuesday, the state Department of Health and Human Services issued an […]

Shows a yellow basket with plastic bags containing tubes containing COVID-19 tests

Coronavirus Today – May 14 – Churches sue state; prison staff testing plan; need a test, find a site

May 14, 2020 by Editor

Coronavirus Today – May 14 – Churches sue state; prison staff testing plan; need a test, find a site - North Carolina Health News

Nearly a week into this phase of the modified stay-at-home order, no spikes or deep drop-off in COVID-19 have appeared.

By North Carolina Health News staff Churches argue state violating their rights Gov. Roy Cooper said during a media briefing on Thursday that he had not seen a lawsuit filed in federal court challenging his modified stay-at-home order that calls for houses of worship to hold outside services with social distancing measures against COVID-19 unless […]

An African American man in a suit speaks to the podium, he is Erik Hooks of DPS and he's talking about releasing inmates from NC prisons early because of COVID-19 at a briefing.

NC prisons begin early release for some inmates

April 14, 2020 by Taylor Knopf

NC prisons begin early release for some inmates - North Carolina Health News

Fewer inmates will be sleeping in prison beds as the Department of Public Safety begins early release for certain eligible inmates to reduce the prison population and prevent the spread of COVID-19.

By Taylor Knopf State prison officials are reviewing early release for certain, nonviolent inmates who are considered high-risk for COVID-19 complications and those who are already scheduled to be released in 2020. The Department of Public Safety released six inmates under these new criteria and is considering about 500 more. The six released so far […]

A skilled nursing facility sign is in the foreground and a building is in the background. The facility, A PruittHealth skilled-nursing facility in Orange County, is dealing with an outbreak of COVID-19, and has a history of poor staffing.

Coronavirus Today – April 8 – Nursing home outbreak, food banks need help and prisoner lawsuit

April 8, 2020 by Editor

Coronavirus Today – April 8 – Nursing home outbreak, food banks need help and prisoner lawsuit - North Carolina Health News

An outbreak in PruittHealth – Carolina Point rehabilitation center in Chapel Hill has spread rapidly from last Thursday, when Orange County Public Health officials first publicly reported that two people, a resident and an employee, had come down with the virus. Now 60 are positive.

By NC Health News staff Outbreak in Orange County long term care facility Two people have already died from a COVID-19 outbreak in an Orange County skilled-nursing facility, with 60 sickened from the dangerous pathogen at the rehabilitation center, Gov. Roy Cooper said in a media briefing Wednesday. Seven other residents have been hospitalized and […]

A man with white hair looks into the distance, he's Mike Sprayberry, director of emergency management and he's at a press conference about coronavirus.

Coronavirus Today – April 2 – Cases in NC prisons, unemployment system strain, state requests FEMA help

April 2, 2020 by Editor

Coronavirus Today – April 2 – Cases in NC prisons, unemployment system strain, state requests FEMA help - North Carolina Health News

The coronavirus outbreak has resulted in more than 350,000 unemployment claims to date, officials said on Thursday. Meanwhile, the state's prison system reported COVID-19 cases.

By North Carolina Health News staff State unemployment system stretched thin The state’s unemployment system has been swamped with thousands of claims, an official from the Department of Commerce said Thursday afternoon. Social distancing measures, including the closures of salons, massage parlors, and bars and the prohibition on eating out, have taken an economic toll. […]

Door to a unit inside a jail. Jail suicides and overdoses are on the rise across the state. The counties may not have enough resources to fight COVID-19.

NC governor to sheriffs: No extra state COVID-19 resources available for jail inmates

March 28, 2020 by Taylor Knopf

NC governor to sheriffs: No extra state COVID-19 resources available for jail inmates - North Carolina Health News

In a conference call with Gov. Roy Cooper, NC sheriffs asked about medical assistance for possible jail inmates with COVID-19. Cooper couldn’t provide them with much.

By Taylor Knopf North Carolina has 100 counties each with their own sheriff and jail system, meaning there are 100 different responses to the COVID-19 pandemic for jail inmates across the state. On Tuesday, North Carolina’s sheriffs joined Gov. Roy Cooper on a conference call with questions about what to do if the virus is […]

A sign that says latest on COVID-19 NCDHHS.Gov near Exist 99 on Route 1

Coronavirus today – March 19 – first community spread, virus strains unemployment infrastructure

March 19, 2020 by Editor

Coronavirus today – March 19 – first community spread, virus strains unemployment infrastructure - North Carolina Health News

As North Carolina reports its first case of COVID-19 community spread, state prepares for caseload surge.

North Carolina is moving into a new attack phase against the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, that has been upending almost every aspect of daily life for more than two weeks. North Carolina has its first known case of COVID-19 spreading through community contact, Gov. Roy Cooper announced on Thursday. That case is in Wilson County, where […]

Empty grocery shelves as a response to coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic

Coronavirus Today – Monday, March 16

March 16, 2020 by Editor

Coronavirus Today – Monday, March 16 - North Carolina Health News

This last weekend saw changes in North Carolina’s public life, but for many, changes in the state became real when their kids remained home from school.

By NC Health News Staff North Carolina has been in a state of emergency for nearly a week in response to the novel coronavirus, and with the declaration came novel lifestyle changes for many across the state. The new normal for everyday life is very abnormal, instilling child care headaches for many families, ramped up […]

a fence is in the foreground, with a dozen men in jumpsuits beyond it, they're sitting on benches and seveal are playing basketball. More inmates with mental illness find themselves in solitary confinement following the 2017 deaths of prison officers in NC.

After officer deaths, more NC inmates with mental illness find themselves in solitary confinement

December 18, 2019 by Taylor Knopf

After officer deaths, more NC inmates with mental illness find themselves in solitary confinement - North Carolina Health News

The NC prison system has increased its use of solitary confinement for inmates with mental illness after five officers were killed on the job in one year. Prior to the 2017 deaths, prisons had reduced their use of solitary significantly.

By Taylor Knopf The year after five prison officers were killed by inmates in 2017, the state prison system almost doubled the number of inmates with mental illness held in solitary confinement. Previously, North Carolina’s prison system made significant strides to reduce the number of prisoners with mental illness who are held in isolation for […]

Additional Thanks

Categories