Harvey Weinstein being ‘closely monitored’ after developing fever in prison

Spokesperson refuses to confirm or deny disgraced movie mogul has been tested for coronavirus

Harvey Weinstein arrives at a Manhattan court in New York on 21 February (AP)

Convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein is being “closely monitored” after falling ill in prison, a representative for the disgraced movie mogul said.

The 68-year-old was said to have developed a fever within the Wende Correctional Facility in New York where he is seeing out his 23-year sentence on sexual assault charges.

A spokesperson for Weinstein, once one of the most powerful men in Hollywood, said they could not “confirm or deny” whether he had tested positive for Covid-19.

Weinstein is considered particularly vulnerable to the effects of the coronavirus due to his age, weight and other medical issues, including a heart condition and high blood pressure.

A spokesman for the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision said any individual found to be displaying Covid-19 symptoms is immediately isolated and tested for the virus under official policy.

In March Michael Powers, a union official for corrections officers, said Weinstein had contracted a confirmed case of coronavirus – citing concerns for staff working at the facility.

At the time the sexual offender’s defence team said they would not disclose whether he had been tested, while arguing the unauthorised disclosure could be a violation of privacy regulations.

He was reported to have been kept in isolation at the facility, with a spokesperson saying Weinstein had no symptoms two weeks after Mr Powers’ disclosure.

While secondary Covid-19 infections are currently presumed to be relatively rare, they are not unheard of – with a recent case study published in The Lancet medical journal noting a 25-year-old from Nevada was found to have suffered much worse symptoms during his second infection.

More than 100 women, many of them in film and media, have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct stretching back decades. His current spell in prison was ordered after he was found guilty of committing a first-degree criminal sexual act against one woman and the third-degree rape of another.

Allegations against him formed a central focus in the MeToo movement, which saw people across the world call out sexual assault and harassment perpetrated by powerful men in the entertainment industry and society at large.

Mr Weinstein has denied the allegations, saying any sexual acts with complainants was consensual.

Additional reporting by agencies