Convicted rapist and former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, weeks after beginning his prison sentence.
A New York law enforcement source tells E! News, "Harvey tested positive for Coronavirus yesterday. He is currently in quarantine at the facility."
In February, a New York jury found the 68-year-old guilty of sexually assaulting a former production assistant and raping a former aspiring actress. He was sentenced to 23 years in prison. On March 11, he was taken to Rikers Island jail. On Wednesday, March 18, he was transferred to Wende Correctional Facility, a maximum security prison in the town of Alden in upstate New York.
On Sunday, the New York news group Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc. quoted officials connected to the state prison system as saying that Weinstein and another inmate have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19. Deadline later also reported that Weinstein had tested positive for the virus while in jail and quoted an Empire State law enforcement official as saying that he was placed in medical isolation.
New York State's Department of Corrections representatives have not confirmed the reports. A rep for Weinstein was not aware of their client's test, while a lawyer for Weinstein told Reuters they had not learned of the diagnosis.
Michael Powers, president of the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA), told CNHI that three state corrections officers have also tested positive for the virus. On Friday, NBC New York reported that at least 21 inmates and 17 prison employees have tested positive for COVID-19 on Rikers Island.
On March 14, the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision announced that it is suspending all visits to its prison inmates amid the pandemic.