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Juvenile camps prepped to ensure safety from virus

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Los Angeles County probation officers, public health clinicians, educators and others who work with youth in juvenile camps and halls are reassuring the public that precautions are being taken as coronavirus cases surge.

The juvenile facilities are held to the same health standards as county hospitals and clinics, according to health officials. Masks are mandatory, social distancing protocols are followed, and more frequent cleaning is scheduled, among other measures to limit spread.

However, the jump in community cases has found its way into juvenile halls and camps.

“I am very concerned with this latest surge,” said Mary Logan, the department’s chief nurse. “We have had a number of youth come in from the community who have tested positive, but thankfully most of the youth have not had any serious symptoms.”

Every minor admitted to a county juvenile facility goes immediately into quarantine, is assessed by medical personnel and also tested for the virus, Logan said. If they test positive, they are placed in medical isolation for 10 days.

In late December, a reported 107 minors had tested positive for COVID-19, 40 of them while in probation’s care rather than at admission, according to a weekly department report. That represents roughly 20 percent of the total population of halls and camps on that date. In addition, there were 120 youth in quarantine due to possible exposure.

At the time, 360 staff members had reportedly tested positive, though more than half of those work in field offices rather than detention facilities. Dr. Lello Tesema, director of population health at Correctional Health Services, said most of the transmission comes from staff.

“It’s not surprising that (as) we’ve seen a dramatic uptick in community transmission, we’re seeing that reflected in juvenile facilities,” Tesema said.

Youth at juvenile halls and camps have access to mental health services, both with staff on site and via virtual videoconferencing. There is a lot of stress, anxiety and apprehension among staff and youth, creating greater demand for those services, according to representatives from the Department of Mental Health.

Earlier in the pandemic, the Probation Department was managing family visits outdoors, but visitation has now been suspended under the most recent stay-at-home orders instituted by state and county public health officials.

However, youth, even those in quarantine, have access to all other services, including educational programming, college classes, calls with family and recreational activities, according to department officials.

In-person activities are held in smaller groups, typically by living unit, and much of the instruction is virtual, with a limited number of teachers and administrators on site.

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