Shocking lack of urgency at the Valley Street jail
To the Editor: Yesterday, I heard that the Valley Street jail is at a 50% positivity rate for COVID and that the staff is near 25% positive. The state needs to take urgent action! The residents of the jail need to be quarantined and vaccinated today.
I am beside myself at the lack of sense of urgency throughout the state in the vaccination process.
Why am I concerned? No, I do not have a friend or family member who resides or works at the jail. Our poorest citizens are awaiting trial or serving sentences there, they have no way to protect themselves. We need to protect them now.
The hospitals in Manchester are already overwhelmed. If a prisoner needs medical attention, the prison staff, city EMS workers and hospital will all be stressed. We cannot wait to plan what is best here.
I am begging that the state epidemiology team literally take the vaccine from the freezer and get to the jail and immunize people. There is no politics or waiting that can be justified.
There have been many unnecessary delays in the vaccination process in NH and throughout the country, these need to be addressed. However, the absolute priority needs to be to vaccinate the jail’s residents and staff today.
LISA STONE
Peterborough