new york new york city was hit by the nations largest coronavirus jail outbreak to date this week with at least 38 people testing positive at the notorious rikers island complex and nearby facilities more than half of them incarcerated men the board that oversees the citys jail system said saturdayanother inmate meanwhile became the first in the country to test positive in a federal jailin a letter to new yorks criminal justice leaders board of correction interim chairwoman jacqueline sherman described a jail system in crisisshe said in the last week board members learned that 12 department of correction employees five correctional health services employees and 21 people in custody at rikers and city jails had tested positive for the coronavirusand at least another 58 were being monitored in the prisons contagious disease and quarantine units she saidit is likely these people have been in hundreds of housing areas and common areas over recent weeks and have been in close contact with many other people in custody and staff said sherman warning that cases could skyrocket the best path forward to protecting the community of people housed and working in the jails is to rapidly decrease the number of people housed and working in themnew york officials have consistently downplayed the number of infections in its prisons and jails the associated press has found in conversations with current and former inmatesthe citys jail agency and its cityrun healthcare provider did not respond to messages seeking comment on the letter on friday the citys department of corrections said just one inmate had been diagnosed with coronavirus along with seven jail staff members late saturday the department acknowledged 19 inmates had tested positive two fewer than in the boards letter and 12 staff membersearlier this week juan giron was transferred to rikers island from an upstate facility after his sentence was vacated because the judge had failed to consider him for youthful offender treatment after going through intake where he underwent health screening he was taken to a dormitory that housed more than two dozen men their beds lined up next to one another spaced a few feet apartthis is like a shelter so everybody is out and about youre talking to people mingling giron said last night a guy is brought in at around 6 pm and a few hours later two police officers come in with masks and gloves on and try to give the guy a mask they looked scared didnt even want to touch him they told him to pack up so he packed up and they took him out it was crazymore on covid19coronavirus pandemic complete coveragecoronavirus what are the symptoms52 testing sites for coronavirus in indiahelpline numbers for states and utsdo fever and cough mean you need covid19 testhow to stay safehow to quarantine yourself at homewe asked one of the officers and they said thats the process we are doing now for guys who have the virus giron said adding that