Harvey Weinstein Coronavirus Positive; What Now For His Prison Sentence?
Harvey Weinstein is coronavirus-positive. Despite measures to ensure that Wende Correctional Facility near Buffalo will stay clear of this deadly virus, here comes Weinsten, a disgraced movie mogul sentenced to 23 years in prison for the sexual assault of two women.
Weinstein has tested positive in this prison of the coronavirus and at his age, considered at high risk of the deadly consequences attached to this virus. According to the Post, he is likely to have contracted the disease at Rikers Island. The information was provided by an unnamed official.
It can be remembered that he was briefly locked up there before his transfer to Wende.
According to the Associated Press, New York City at present, has posted the largest jailhouse outbreak of the disease. There are now 38 inmates who tested positive for the coronavirus, some of whom are being detained at Rikers.
The only positive news here is that he is being held in isolation at the Wende Correctional Facility, which can at least contain the possible contagion. The state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision refused to confirm nor deny the mogul's condition, using federal healthcare privacy law as the main excuse.
It was however, brought to light that two inmates at the said facility also have the coronavirus.
According to Weinstein's spokesman, Juda Engelmayer, his client already secured permission for his lawyers and prison consultant to get his medical information. But weirdly, no one was told their client has the deadly virus.
Weinstein had his test at Bellevue Hospital for the virus when he suddenly developed a cough. He was sent there when his blood pressures spiked up after his March 11 sentencing. He tested negative then and was sent to Rikers after being quarantined for several days.
It remains unclear what will happen now. He just got in at the facility a day before his birthday.
Looking back to an interview of Town and Country Mag with a prison expert, who discussed what Weinstein could expect when he entered the jail, having a medical condition does not necessarily mean he'll get the attention of a patient.
According to Justin Paperny, the CEO of White Collar Advice, "Medical care inside prison is not even close to being the same as what you would get with a private physician, and that's a big hurdle for Weinstein. Usually, I encourage our clients to speak as little as possible to prison staff [to avoid being seen as trying to curry favor], but when you have health issues, that is clearly a time you should speak up to staff, articulate your problems, and really advocate for yourself."
Of course, Paperny meant all sorts of diseases and medical conditions, but it is highly likely that he did not think of coronavirus. This virus is a different ball game altogether. Weinstein is a ticking time bomb if he does not receive the medical attention coronavirus patients should get, not just to himself but to all people around him.
Since he's hardly the darling of anyone at the moment, given his crimes, some find it hard to sympathize.
READ MORE:Harvey Weinstein Spends Birthday in Prison Watching Videos of How to Avoid Abuse and Suicide
