THOMSON, Illinois — Four Illinois lawmakers are calling for the full staff of a Thomson prison to be tested for COVID-19 after a recent outbreak.
Local representatives signed a letter asking the United States Penitentiary (USP) Thomson to test all staff for COVID-19 after 30 employees and 18 inmates at the facility tested positive for the coronavirus.
U.S. Representatives Cheri Bustos, and Dave Loebsack as well as U.S. Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth all signed the letter.
“While we appreciate the work of USP Thomson to test staff known to have been exposed to COVID-19 and all inmates, more staff testing is urgently needed to find asymptomatic cases and prevent the spread of this virus,” the lawmakers wrote.
The lawmakers also asked the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to send additional staff from other locations to help USP Thomson as the facility starts testing all inmates.
