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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 08, 2022

CONTACT: pressoffice@doc.nyc.gov

@CorrectionNYC NYC DOC TV

DOC TO RESUME IN-PERSON VISITS ON FEB. 9

Visitors must provide proof of vaccination and will be tested for COVID-19 on-site and must have a negative result

East Elmhurst, NY – February 08, 2022 – As Omicron cases continue to drop in NYC, DOC is pleased to announce the resumption of in-person family visits beginning Wednesday, February 9, 2022.

For the health and safety of incarcerated people and DOC employees, all visitors will be required to provide proof of vaccination at In-Person Visit Registration. All visitors aged 5 years and older must meet the definition of “fully vaccinated” according to CDC guidelines. Proof of vaccination includes a CDC-issued vaccine card or NY State Excelsior pass.

Additionally, all visitors must take a rapid COVID-19 test and test negative prior to conducting their visit. The tests will be free and available at Central Visits on Rikers Island, and at the visits center at the Vernon C. Bain Center (VCBC). They will be administered by an external health care provider. Visitors who cannot provide proof of vaccination and/or test positive may register for a tele-visit and/or another In-Person Visit in the future, after meeting necessary and applicable quarantining guidelines.

All in-person visits this week on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday will be walk-ins. We encourage pre-registration for visits beginning on February 16, and you can schedule online here beginning today.

Due to high-demand and social distancing requirements, drop-in visits after February 16 will only be allowed in the unlikely event that there is space in the schedule.

The Department is committed to restarting in-person visits in a way that is safe for the people who work and live in our facilities. We have worked closely with the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) to develop guidelines to safely reopen visits.

As of February 8, 2022, the department’s average 7-day COVID positivity rate was 3.05% and the citywide average was 4.02%.

In-person visits will resume on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and all visitors and people in custody will be socially distanced, six feet apart from both themselves and other people having visits. Once in-person visits resume, our televisits program, which you can register for here, will remain available on Saturdays and Sundays. We will continue to evaluate how to expand the availability of both in-person and televisitation in the coming weeks and months.

More information will be available in coming days and weeks on our website.

“I am very pleased that we have crossed another threshold in our fight against this virus and can now resume visits. In-person visits are important because they keep people in custody connected to their families and communities and contribute to their emotional wellbeing, all of which make our jails safer and more humane,” said Department of Correction Commissioner Louis A. Molina.

“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us missed valuable time to connect with our family and loved ones,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Dave A. Chokshi. “Because New Yorkers got vaccinated and followed public health precautions, many of us are now protected against the worst outcomes of COVID-19."

“In-person visitation is important to our patients’ mental health and emotional wellbeing, and we support the Department reinstating this vital service, as the COVID positivity rate in the jails continues to decline,” said Dr. Patsy Yang, Senior Vice President of NY Health + Hospitals for Correctional Health Services (CHS).

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The New York City Department of Correction (DOC) is dedicated to creating a safe and supportive environment while providing individuals in our care with a path to successfully re-enter their communities.