Omicron wreaks havoc across California prison facilities as staff cases surge

Vaccine mandate feud intensifies as staff infections increased 212% in January with only 69% of prison workers fully vaccinated

California prisons have reported a staggering rise in Covid cases among staff this month, as the highly contagious Omicron variant has sent infection cases surging across the US.

Staff infections increased 212% in January with more than 3,800 active cases in dozens of state facilities. The surge comes amid debate over a federal judge's order that all prison staff must be vaccinated, a mandate facing legal challenges from the governor and the corrections officer union.