Harvey Weinstein was in Marcy Days Before Coronavirus Diagnosis

Oscar winning movie producer Harvey Weinstein, who was convicted of sexual assault and recently tested positive for COVID-19, stopped at the Marcy Correctional Facility in Marcy, NY (near Utica) for a short period last week, according to a corrections union official.

The brief-stop occurred as Weinstein was being transported from Manhattan to the Wende Correctional Facility in Western New York last Wednesday, March 18th, according to Bryan Hluska, the Central Region VP of NYSCOPBA. The vehicle was traveling upstate on the New York State Thruway. According to Hluska, Weinstein was the only inmate in the transport vehicle and It's not known what caused the van to make the stop in Marcy. Less than a week later, Weinstein was placed into isolation at Wende, along with another inmate, on or around March 22nd after testing positive for coronavirus. Doctors say people with COVID-19 are contagious about 1 - 2 days before experiencing symptoms.

Marcy Correctional now has a section of the prison separated from the general population with about 50 inmates that are now under a precautionary quarantine related to COVID-19, according to Hluska. Since then, corrections officers in that unit have been given the proper personal protective equipment to keep them safe. Hluska, appearing on WIBX's Keeler in the Morning Show, called on the state to make sure all prison employees have the equipment they need. “The local administration did the right thing with providing the proper PPE," said Hluska. "I demand that the rest of the state facilities follow suit,” he said.

Additionally, eight officers in the Central Region are currently on a  precautionary quarantine. No officers or inmates have tested positive for the virus, thus far, he said. The central region consists of Mohawk, Marcy, Midstate, Hail Creek, Gouverneur, Cape Vincent and Watertown correctional facilities. 

Weinstein was sentenced to 23-years in prison for rape and sexual assault in a Manhattan court back on March 11th. Following a medical procedure three weeks ago, he spent time at Rikers Island jail before being transported upstate. His attorney says he will appeal the sentence in July, according to media reports. Weinstein faces additional charges and possible prosecution in the state of California.