New cases of COVID-19 among staff at the Thomson federal prison have prompted a call for more testing.
As of August 20th, 30 staff members and 18 inmates have tested positive for the coronavirus. U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos, along with Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, have called for immediate full staff testing in a letter to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
The Bureau had previously committed to testing all inmates at the prison, but did not make the same promise with regards to staff. The lawmakers said asymptomatic staff could spread the virus unknowingly to their communities. They also said a further loss of personnel could exacerbate understaffing.
U.S. Representative Dave Loebsack of Iowa also signed on to the letter.