Dozens of California Prison Workers Have COVID-19

More than four dozen workers at California prisons have fallen ill with the coronavirus.

The Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday morning that 53 employees — two nurses are the latest patients — have tested positive for COVID-19. There is another employee at the same location, the California Health Care Facility, who is a "suspected case."

At that facility in Stockton, there have been lax standards in terms of when prisoners and staff members are required to wear gloves and masks, the Times reported. No inmates have come down with the virus there, but 17 inmates across the state have tested positive.

A panel of federal judges ruled last week that California could not release several thousand inmates to get them away from the crowded confines of prison in an effort to lessen their chances of contracting COVID-19. On Monday, however, another federal judge inquired about whether 3,500 inmates could be released six months early, the Times noted.

California has more than 16,000 cases of the virus, but is lending several other states and U.S. territories 500 ventilators as they battle the illness.

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