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Lackawanna County Lockup Still on Lockdown

SCRANTON — The Lackawanna County Prison will remain on lockdown until at least Thursday, meaning no visitors. On Monday, the warden addressed the situatio...

SCRANTON -- The Lackawanna County Prison will remain on lockdown until at least Thursday, meaning no visitors.

On Monday, the warden addressed the situation the jail has been dealing with since last week, saying the situation is under control but while staff and inmates continue to be tested, the no-visitor policy needs to stay in effect.

It's been nearly four days since the Lackawanna County Prison has been on lockdown after an inmate tested positive for a contagious disease.

The warden calls the lockdown a precautionary measure.

"The medical situation at the Lackawanna County Prison is under control and the lockdown remains in effect. Testing of staff and inmates is continuing," said Warden Robert McMillan.

Because of HIPPA laws, the warden would not discuss which disease the inmate tested positive for, but those inside continue to undergo tuberculosis testing as a precaution.

The infected inmate has been in isolation since testing positive.

Until further notice, court appearances for the week have been suspended and inmates will not be transported to Central Court, trial, or any other legal processes.

"We are following a plan of action that was developed after consulting with local medical professionals and we continue to follow that plan," said McMillan.

Dr. Tina George is a family medicine physician with a master's degree in public health at Commonwealth Health.

She tells us tuberculosis affects the lungs. The disease is transmitted by "droplets," meaning it can be caught when a person who is infected coughs, laughs, or sneezes near other people.

That can be problematic in a place like a prison.

"The main concern in a prison-type environment is the contagiousness of the disease, so we always worry about tuberculosis in environments where there are close quarters," Dr. George said.

Since the Lackawanna County Prison is primarily a "no-contact" jail, the doctor tells us those who may have visited over the last week should not be alarmed or run out to get tested, unless they want to for peace of mind.

The idea of having a loved one inside the jail is still scary for Christopher Webber of Scranton.

"It's just hard, you know? He's got to come home now and we don't know what the circumstances are. Will he be OK? Will this be passed on?" Webber asked.

The warden tells us no one has shown any symptoms other than that one inmate.

The jail hopes to be back to normal operations on Thursday.

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