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A Marin County lawmaker is speaking out as the coronavirus outbreak at San Quentin State Prison has exploded over the last two weeks.
State Assemblyman Marc Levine has called for the resignation of the prison executive he believes is responsible for the outbreak.
Hundreds of inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 at San Quentin since a transfer of prisoners at the end of May from a facility in Chino with a large outbreak. State prison officials reported Saturday 613 inmates now are infected with the coronavirus, up from 547 just 24 hours prior. The prison has seen a staggering 568 new cases over the last 14 days.
Officials said 89 staff members have been infected.
"We need to make sure that public health officers, epidemiologists are making decisions that can protect the public health," Levine told KCBS Radio.
Levine said Receiver J. Clark Kelso, who heads California Correctional Health Care Services, is responsible for the transfer and therefore the San Quentin outbreak.
"This is the biggest prison health screw up in state history," Levine said.
He’s called for Kelso to step down.
KCBS Radio has reached out to the state’s corrections department and California Correctional Health Care Services for a response to Levine’s comments. We have yet to hear back.
