Wayne County Sheriff Raphael Washington is looking forward to COVID-19 virus-catching technology in his jails protecting inmates against the disease that is still impacting lives.
The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) announced yesterday the installation of the Integrated Viral Protection (IVP) indoor biodefense system in all three of its jail divisions, the Road Patrol and Sheriff’s Headquarters, according to a press release.
IVP is the world’s only biodefense system proven to destroy COVID-19 (99.999%) and anthrax spores (99.98%) instantaneously, the release added. IVP has approval by the FDA for sale during the COVID-19 pandemic for emergency use.
Through the 2020 CARES Act, the WCSO has acquired 12 large units for highly trafficked areas and 10 room units, all of which are mobile and purify air instantaneously. An estimated 816 personnel work in the three jails and administrative buildings with roughly 1,018 inmates in physical custody.
Ensuring the health and safety of our personnel, clerical staff, and the inmate population is our highest priority,” said Washington in a press release. “The pandemic has challenged us to take every precaution possible and these systems are just another tool we can use to maintain that commitment to reducing health threats now and in the future. It is likely mitigation efforts are here to stay.”
The system was designed by IVP founder and inventor, Monzer Hourani, who has a background in physics, science, and engineering, according to the release. It works by forcing air through a heated filter that captures and eliminates contaminants with one pass, without changing the ambient air temperature. IVP has been endorsed by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers as one of five top technologies in the world to combat COVID-19 and was recently named as a newsmaker of the year by the Engineering News Record.
“IVP is helping people breathe with confidence and more safely reopen our economy with proven solutions that raise the quality of indoor air,” said Dr. Garrett Peel, IVP co-founder. “By following the CDC guidelines and providing clean, pathogen-free air in buildings, we are using science to engineer our way out of this public health crisis.”
The IVP system installation is the latest in the battle against the spread of COVID-19 in the WC Jails which has been hailed as an example of excellence by the Centers for Disease Control. Former Sheriff Benny N. Napoleon was at the forefront of implementing stringent mitigation protocols as early as March 2020. He insisted on heightened sanitization efforts, mandatory masking, and continuous COVID-19 testing for personnel. He also ensured that jail executives worked closely with the Chief Judge of the 3rd Judicial Circuit to reduce the inmate population and thus prevent community spread.
“Sadly, Sheriff Napoleon succumbed to COVID-19 in December. But prior to his passing, he continuously researched options for increasing health safety and I know he would have insisted this ground-breaking technology be installed to enhance mitigation efforts throughout the organization,” said Sheriff Washington. “We will continue pursuing every option available until this health threat is eliminated.”
Washington said that the technology “absolutely works” and he is looking forward to protecting the roughly 1,200 inmates currently housed in the jails.
He added that about 175 inmates contracted the virus.
“It is important to say that we are testing those inmates that come in every day and we quarantine them until they come back with negative testing,” he said. “(This) groundbreaking technology (will) do us all justice in the fight to flatten the curve.”
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