TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The coronavirus has arrived at a third Kansas correctional facility as the state’s largest prison outbreak grew to include nearly 90 positive cases.
Kansas Department of Corrections Secretary Jeff Zmuda said in a news release that one staff member tested positive Monday at the Topeka Correctional Facility, which is the state’s only all-female prison with a capacity of 948. Health officials are conducting contact tracing to determine who has been in close contact with the worker.
The largest outbreak is at the Lansing Correction Facility, where 47 staff and 40 inmates are infected. An inmate at a work-release facility in Wichita also tested positive, prompting corrections officials to move 113 prisoners earlier this month to Lansing, where they are being quarantined.
With advocacy groups demanding action, Gov. Laura Kelly has said efforts are underway to identify inmates who are close to finishing their sentences and can be released.
Statewide, confirmed coronavirus cases increased Monday by 137 to 1,986. The number of deaths increased by eight to 100.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up within three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness and death.