East Baton Rouge Prison quarantining 94 inmates after one tests positive for COVID-19

BATON ROUGE- Ninety-four inmates at the East Baton Rouge Prison are quarantined after an inmate tested positive for COVID-19 Sunday evening.

An EBR Parish Prison inmate was taken to the hospital late Saturday afternoon after a suspected drug overdose. Prison medical performed CPR on the inmate and administered Narcan before EMS transported him to the hospital.

Prison administration was notified that the inmate tested positive for the coronavirus at approximately 11:25 p.m. Sunday night.

Prison administration began CDC quarantine protocol for both the line the inmate was placed on and the adjoining line, the prison said in a statement Monday.

"Ninety-four inmates on the two lines are currently quarantined. The prison staff brings all food and commissary to the quarantined inmates. They also have access to phones and have been given additional free phone calls. They continue to have daily recreation time within their quarantined area. They are also practicing the 6-feet social distancing recommendation. As per CDC protocol, medical staff is taking all of the inmates’ temperature twice a day."

At this time, no inmates have a fever or are presenting symptoms of the virus. Since the declaration of this emergency related to the spread of COVID-19 anyone entering the prison facility is medically screened and has their temperature taken before entry, according to the release.