Chicken Pox Cases Put Monmouth County Jail on Lockdown
Two inmates came down with chicken pox, according to the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office.
The Monmouth County Correctional Institution is on lockdown following two reported chicken pox cases, according to a press release issued by the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Shaun Golden and Warden Brian Elwood instituted the lockdown on Sunday, Aug. 12 after consulting with the jail’s medical team.
“The Monmouth County Correctional Institution is taking all precautionary measures to protect against the spread of the virus,” Golden said in the release. “Each inmate has been examined and educated about the chickenpox. All of the housing units at the facility continue to be thoroughly disinfected.”
The lockdown will remain in effect until Tuesday, Aug. 14, at which time the inmate population will be reexamined and a determination made on whether or not to lift the lockdown, according to the release. The jail houses between 1,100 and 1,200 inmates per day.
Inmate transports to the Monmouth County Courthouse have been canceled, with video conferencing being made available for inmates who had been scheduled to appear in court, the release stated. All programs at the jail have been temporarily suspended.
Visitation will not be affected since the jail does not have visiting hours on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Claudine Scozzari
3:54 pm on Monday, August 13, 2012
Where are these two adults from that they got chicken pox?
Chicken pox is like a rite of passage when you are 6 years old.
Sue M
7:37 pm on Sunday, August 19, 2012
Claudine, I grew up in NJ and never got chicken pox until I was 18 (now 37). Mom sent me over to the house of multiple friends who had it when I was little, but I just didn't catch it! So it's not just people who are isolated who don't get it until adulthood. And with the vaccine out, the virus is less prevalent so people aren't catching it as much when they are little anymore either.