COLUMBIA, S.C. — (AP) — The South Carolina Department of Corrections will spend nearly $1 million on air purifiers to combat the spread of COVID-19 in its prisons.
The agency told lawmakers it plans to install the air ionizers into heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems at correctional facilities by December.
[ ALSO READ: 3 South Carolina inmates die in a week span after positive COVID results ]
Officials said the ionizers work by making the coronavirus particles heavier and easier to filter. Agency director Bryan Stirling said the department plans to pay for the air ionizers with internal prison canteen funds.
More than 30 inmates who have contracted the disease have died since the start of the outbreak.
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