KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Two staff members at the Douglas County Correctional Facility in Lawrence have tested positive for COVID-19.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, which operates the jail, said Monday on Facebook that it was notified last Thursday about a staff member in the minimum security classification who tested positive.
Those inmates were moved to a different part of the jail, where they could be quarantined individually.
Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health also provided tests, which were administered to all inmates and staff on the minimum security classification unit as well as anyone who had contact with the infected staff member.
The jail was deep cleaned and disinfected. All laundry also was washed as a precaution.
Another staff member, who had not been at work since the deep cleaning took place, tested positive over the weekend.
Due to the second positive test, all other inmates and staff have been tested for COVID-19. While not all of the results have been returned, there have been no additional positive tests so far.
Staff at the jail are required to wear personal protective equipment, which everyone reportedly was doing during periods of possible exposure.
Inmates are provided with safety equipment, but it was their choice whether to wear it until this week, when jail staff decided to make it mandatory until further notice.
The Kansas Department of Corrections has reported numerous outbreaks at its prison facilities, affecting nearly 1,400 staff and inmates.
There have been seven deaths connected to COVID-19 at KDOC facilities, including two staff and four residents at Lansing Correctional Facility.
Almost 950 cases have been connected to the Lansing outbreak, while the two other largest outbreaks involve more than 170 people at Larned Correctional Facility and more than 65 connected to a Wichita Work Release program.
