By DOUGLAS GRAVES

Special to The Press

Lehigh County commissioners heard on May 12 from Director of Corrections Janine Donate that the inmates and staff of the Lehigh County Jail would receive COVID-19 vaccinations the following Friday.

On May 14, the voluntary vaccinations were administered by the jail’s health care provider Prime Care Medical Inc. who secured the vaccine through cooperation with the state Department of Health.

The inmates and staff received the Johnson and Johnson single dose vaccine.

Lehigh County Executive Phillips Armstrong released a statement describing the event.

“COVID-19 has affected our lives in many ways, from closure of businesses to delays in seeing loved ones and to the unfortunate spread of this killer virus throughout the congregate setting.” Armstrong said. “We have managed the infection risk within the standards of CDC and the Pennsylvania Department of Health; however, the last missing step is vaccines for our inmate population.

“I’m announcing today that we have received permission to inoculate our prison population starting May 14.

“This opportunity is made possible by the consistent accumulation of efforts between Jail and Emergency Management leadership.

“Rest assured, our work is not done, but this is another step in COVID recovery.”

In other business, commissioners approved a four-year food service contract with two one-year extensions with Trinity Services Group to provide food related services to the county Jail system.

Commissioners were concerned that the contract continues the practice of putting Styrofoam into the environment.

Donate told members of Courts and Corrections Committee that she recommends accepting a proposal from Trinity Services Group which will provide meals at a fixed cost per meal.

Donate said this represents a 50-percent increase in the cost per meal over the previous contract.

According to Donate, the cost is guaranteed to not increase even if the price of food spikes during the contract period.

She said increased costs of food contributed to the increased per meal rate.

Commissioner Dan Hartzell suggested future contracts include sustainability clauses to reduce the amount of plastic used in the food services for the jail system.

Commissioner Bob Elbich wanted to see the Corrections Department take a more aggressive approach to limiting or eliminating Styrofoam from the food service chain.

“There are alternatives out there,” Elbich said.

He suggested a new supplementary contract be negotiated to accomplish his plastic-reduction goal.

He said Styrofoam takes 500 years to degrade in the environment.

“The reason we are having so much trouble reducing plastics in Pennsylvania is because the plastics lobby has so much of a voice here,” Commissioner Percy Dougherty said.