Corrections Officers, Inmates Test Positive for Coronavirus
Reports of coronavirus cases in Omaha correctional facilities continued to come in in recent days.
The Douglas County Department of Corrections reported last Friday that two correctional officers tested positive for COVID-19.
A correctional officer for the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services also tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a news release Saturday.
A news release from Douglas County states that the two officers are believed to have contracted the virus separately in the community, not at work. They are both self-isolating at home.
“We are continuing to work closely with the Douglas County Health Department to conduct contact trace investigations to ensure all staff and incarcerated individuals who may have come into contact with these officers are monitored,” Mike Myers, director of Douglas County Department of Corrections, said in a release. “To date, we have tested more than 35 staff and incarcerated individuals. Prior to these two cases, all other tests have been negative.”
Douglas County Corrections has about 500 employees and is holding about 1,100 inmates.
“Since early March, we have taken an abundance of precautions to minimize the risk for incarcerated individuals and staff,” Myers said. “It is our hope these measures prove effective in protecting all individuals entrusted to our custody.”
The state corrections employee works at the Nebraska State Penitentiary and is self-isolating at home. So far, 10 state corrections staffers have tested positive.
Three inmates of the Community Corrections Center-Omaha have also tested positive for the virus, according to a release.
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