More Nebraska prison staffers test positive for coronavirus

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nearly 240 Nebraska prison system staffers have been infected with the coronavirus, according to state officials.

The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services said in a news release Tuesday night that another three staff members had tested positive — one each at the Work Ethic Camp in McCook, the Lincoln Correctional Center and the Omaha Correctional Center.

That follows news late Monday of another five staff members testing positive for the virus. Those staffers are employed at the state prison in Tecumseh, the Work Ethic Camp, the Community Corrections Center and Nebraska State Penitentiary, both in Lincoln, and the Omaha Correctional Center.

All staff members are self-isolating at home.

Notification will be provided to those who live and work in those facilities as to the positive cases, the department said. In addition, anyone who may have had close contact with the staff members will be directed to self-quarantine until cleared by a medical provider.

The latest cases bring the number of Nebraska prison staffers infected since the outbreak began to 238. Of those, 184 have since recovered.