The Legal Aid Society condemned Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Department of Correction and Community Supervision (DOCCS) for failing to take necessary steps to control the spread of COVID-19 at prisons throughout New York State as 2,040 New Yorkers in DOCCS custody have now tested positive for the virus, reports the Staten Island Advance.

“This shameful milestone was totally avoidable had Governor Cuomo and DOCCS heeded the calls from advocates, medical professionals and other experts for immediate decarceration of medically vulnerable individuals, said Stefen Short, Supervising Attorney with the Prisoners’ Rights Project at The Legal Aid Society.

“Absent significant intervention by Governor Cuomo or DOCCS, it is apparent that the situation will only worsen and that the consequences will be even more tragic,” he continued. “The state must act immediately to release those who are medically vulnerable. This step is critical to protect vulnerable people and to allow those who remain in custody to practice social distancing, the only measure that can stem the spread of the virus in DOCCS facilities.”