Coronavirus cases grow at Lompoc federal prison as testing increases, feds say

The U.S. Bureau of Prisons has reported an increased number of positive COVID-19 cases for Lompoc Federal Correctional Complex inmates amid claims of more testing, and has touted its cooperation with Santa Barbara County.

But the reality of the situation appears different.

On Wednesday, BOP Director Michael Carvajal spoke in a video message as the agency reported 83 positive inmate tests for the U. S. Penitentiary at Lompoc, compared to 70 the day before.

At the adjacent Lompoc Federal Correctional Institution, 36 inmates had positive tests, compared with 22 a day earlier.

Those numbers differ from data reported by the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department, which attributed only one new prison coronavirus case on Wednesday for a total of 105, not the 119 claimed by BOP.

Staff cases at the two Lompoc facilities added up to 25 in Wednesday’s report.

The BOP website’s numbers for Lompoc inmate cases dropped inexplicably last week, although the agency has kept a nationwide tally of recovered inmates, with 414 as of Wednesday.

It’s not clear how many recovered cases might be at Lompoc.

The agency also began showing separate numbers for its two facilities at Lompoc, but it’s not known if the outbreak spread from one facility to another or if the agency decided to change its reporting.

Controlling the prison outbreak can be critical to avoid overwhelming local hospitals. Additionally, an uncontained outbreak affecting inmates and then staff inadvertently can affect local community efforts to stem the spread of COVID-19

In the video message on the agency’s website, Carvajal said the BOP continues to test symptomatic inmates as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“However, as machines and test kits become more accessible to us, we are expanding testing of asymptomatic inmates at facilities experiencing widespread transmission,” Carvajal said.

“This action will assist us in slowing the transmission of COVID, by allowing us to isolate individuals who test positive and quarantine their contacts more quickly,” he added.

Carvajal claimed Lompoc and other facilities, including Terminal Island, Fort Worth and Oklahoma City, were collaborating with local health departments or the CDC to assist in testing all inmates in the local population, including asymptomatic inmates.

“Testing of asymptomatic inmates will greatly increase the number of positive tests reflected on our public website,” he said.

Carvajal claimed the situation at an Ohio prison — where the state’s National Guard was deployed to assist the federal prison — has helped guide BOP actions at Lompoc.

“Currently FCC Lompoc is following multi-agency guidance, and is actively working with the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department and local hospitals to mitigate spreading of COVID-19,” Carvajal said.

“Based on lessons learned at FCI Elkton, Lompoc’s goal is to ease the strain on local hospitals who lack capacity for a high volume of inmate hospitalizations.”

He added that Lompoc has “quickly repurposed a decommissioned” factory to build 10 double-occupancy negative pressure treatment rooms, and has negotiated a contract for medical personnel.

“I am proud of the staff’s ability to collaborate with local resources and proactively find solutions to this unexpected challenge in spite of the constant criticism and distraction,” Carvajal said.

Santa Barbara County Public Health Director Van Do-Reynoso said Wednesday that some prison representatives have worked well with county health staff.

“I know from the disease containment perspective, we have a good relationship with their disease control staff,” she said. “With regards to reporting number of cases, they have been forthcoming on that.

In the past, county officials have blamed differing numbers on differing reporting times.

“With anything else, we have been in conversation and providing guidance when asked about the set up the field hospital, acquiring medical supplies and securing a private medical provider,” Do-Reynoso added.

When pressed by Noozhawk, she confirmed Lompoc prison representatives have not updated county staff on the progress toward establishing the mobile hospital on prison grounds.

Last week county officials said the federal prison facility had stopped providing updated numbers to public health officials regarding cases.

Congressman Salud Carbajal along with California Senators DIanne Feinstein and Kamala Harris have sent two letters demanding information from BOP but had not received a response.