WASHINGTON (AP) — As the U.S. government plows forward with its plan for lame-duck executions in the midst of a pandemic, the Justice Department disclosed that eight staff members who took part in an execution last month tested positive for the coronavirus but five of those staffers would take part in executions scheduled for this week. The disclosure that the execution team members had tested positive for the virus, in addition to the spiritual adviser of the inmate put to death is furthering criticism from advocates and lawyers for inmates who say the Bureau of Prisons isn't doing enough to stop the spread of exploding coronavirus cases behind bars.
Execution Staff Has COVID-19 After Inmate Is Put To Death
(AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)