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Nearly 1,000 inmates at a Tennessee prison have tested positive for COVID-19, reported this Monday the prison authorities. The test of coronavirus 1,410 inmates of the Penitentiary Center of the South Central region They were made late last week after several inmates and staff members began exhibiting symptoms, the Tennessee Department of Prisons (Tdoc) reported in a press release.
For this Monday afternoon, 974 inmates had tested positive for the disease, while the results of another 189 tests were pending, according to Tdoc statistics. The correctional facility located in Wayne County is operated by the private company CoreCivic.
All inmates who test positive and are asymptomatic will undergo a medical checkup and daily health evaluations, according to the press release. Those with symptoms will be seen on site or in local hospitals, depending on their medical needs. Staff will be quarantinedthe department added.
CoreCivic spokesman Ryan Gustin said in an email that staff are currently being tested.
“We have worked closely with Tdoc and with state health authorities to respond to this unprecedented situation adequately and thoroughly, and taking care of the well-being of those who have been entrusted to us and of our communities,” said Gustin.
Meanwhile in Nashville, a inmate died on Saturday after having tested positive for covid-19. The 64-year-old woman had been admitted to the hospital since Aug. 18, according to the Davidson County Police Department.
Tennessee recorded 1,818 new cases of coronavirus and seven deaths, bringing the total death toll from the pandemic in the state to 1,754.
While most people who get it coronavirus recovers after having mild or moderate symptoms, the disease can be fatal for older adults or those with pre-existing conditions.
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