COLUMBIA  – Regularly scheduled inmate visitation at all S.C. Department of Corrections institutions previously halted because of the H1N1 flu virus will resume Friday (May 15, 2009).

The agency made its decision to allow visitation after reviewing updated information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and American Correctional Association, and after further consultation with the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.

The Corrections Department alone was responsible for stopping visitation, just as it is now making the decision to lift the visitation ban.

As always, corrections employees who believe they are sick are encouraged not to work, and the Corrections Department continues to inform its employees about ways to prevent the spread of flu, including routinely washing hands, cleaning items frequently handled by staff and inmates, and covering coughs.

The agency also asks visitors who believe they are sick to postpone their plans until they are feeling well.