Nebraska’s prisons continue to struggle with new virus cases

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s prison system continues to struggle with the spread of the coronavirus among inmates and staff.

The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services has placed its Work Ethic Camp near McCook under quarantine after one inmate and three staff members tested positive for the virus, officials said in a news release Monday night.

The inmate has been isolated, while the staff members are self-isolating at home, the release said. The news follows orders last week to quarantine the Community Corrections Center in Lincoln after several inmates there tested positive for the virus.

“The good news is that we received negative test results for those inmates who wanted to be tested after the initial outbreak,” department Director Scott Frakes said. “Limiting movement in the facilities during quarantine allows us to reduce transmission of the virus while we continue to evaluate who may be sick and where they are living.”

The department’s website shows the total number of confirmed cases among inmates and staff in Nebraska’s prisons has topped 260 since the pandemic began. Two inmates have died.