Cases of the novel coronavirus in American prisons and jails have doubled over the last month. There are more than 68,000 inmates confirmed to have contracted COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, reported The New York Times. According to the newspaper, the five largest-known clusters across the country are in correctional institutions, prison complexes and jails.
Additionally, deaths among prisoners have soared by nearly 75 percent over the last four weeks.
The Times reports that the largest cluster is at the Marion Correctional Institution in Marion, Ohio, with nearly 2,500 cases.
In the same state, at the Pickaway Correctional Institution in Scioto Township, there are more than 1,700 confirmed infections.
This means there are some prisons in the US that have more cases of the virus than in entire countries.
For example, Cyprus, with a population of about 1.17 million, has only had 985 cases of COVID-19.
Additionally, in New Zealand, which had an infamous two-week run of no cases, only 1,156 people have contracted the virus.
Part of the problem is that the pandemic has been particularly challenging for inmates inside jails and prisons.
Many correctional facilities are overcrowded or have common areas where social distancing cannot be practiced.
There is often insufficient amounts of soap in bathroom to wash their hands and a lack of access to cleaning supplies such as hand sanitizer and wipes.
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