A state prison has become a hot spot of the COVID-19 outbreak in Ohio, with at least 1,828 confirmed cases among inmates — accounting for the majority of cases in Marion County, which leads Ohio in the reported infections.
Ohio officials say an aggressive testing program is responsible for the large number. The large cluster of cases was found through mass testing of everyone at the Marion Correctional Institution; 109 staff members were also positive. No COVID-19 deaths have been reported at the prison.
“Because we are testing everyone — including those who are not showing symptoms — we are getting positive test results on individuals who otherwise would have never been tested because they were asymptomatic,” the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction says.
There are currently 2,400 coronavirus cases among inmates in Ohio’s state prisons, along with 244 staff members. The numbers could rise this week: A prison in Pickaway County began mass testing on Sunday.
With Ohio reporting some 12,919 coronavirus cases as of Monday, the prison system now accounts for more than 20% of the state’s cases.
Bill Chappell, Paige Pfleger – NPR – April 20, 2020.