Lansing prison had nearly 1,000 COVID-19 cases. Now, KDOC says outbreak is ‘contained’
The Kansas Department of Corrections announced Tuesday afternoon that the COVID-19 outbreak at the Lansing Correctional Facility has been contained since June 1.
“Containment means that while there is potential for new cases of the virus to occasionally occur, strategies have been put in place to quickly identify, trace and contain the virus without extensive transmission in a rapid manner,” said Kristi Zears, a Kansas Department of Health and Environment spokeswoman, in an email to The Star.
Some of those measures include increased cleaning and hygiene practices, screenings of those who enter the facility and social distancing where possible, said DOC spokeswoman Rebecca Witte in an email to The Star.
The prison, which was identified in “classified” Kansas public health information as the largest source of cases in the state, saw at least 926 cases of the rapidly spreading virus according to KDOC data. Two guards and four inmates at the prison have died from the virus.
It is the 14th largest known cluster of cases in the United States, according to the New York Times.
The large number of cases was detected after broad scale testing of every inmate in the facility early last month. The testing was sparked after 75% of a dormitory of 240 men tested positive for the new coronavirus. According to the KDOC more than 700 of the 830 cases reported among inmates were asymptomatic.
As of Monday, 49 of the 96 infected staff members had returned to work and 806 of the 830 inmates infected had recovered. The remaining infected inmates, KDOC said, were asymptomatic.
In a news release, Tuesday, the department announced that the Kansas Department of Health and Environment had declared the outbreak contained and members of the Kansas National Guard who had been called in to help had left the prison.
Because the virus is contained, the release said, the prison could resume “many activities” including inmates returning to essential jobs. All activities, other than essential work, that would expose inmates to the community will not be resumed.
Four guardsmen, the release said, initially arrived at the prison in April to help respond to the virus. By June, more than 40 were working at the prison to monitor residents for symptoms, help with food service, help with the move to the prison’s new buildings, and carry out mass testing.
“We were extremely impressed with (the National Guard’s) willingness and ability to adapt to their new surroundings and face each task with strength and dignity. On behalf of the department, I want to sincerely thank them for their work,” said KDOC Secretary Jeff Zmuda in the release.
Cases of the virus have been reported among staff and inmates at at least seven other Kansas prisons.
This story was originally published June 10, 2020 at 12:14 PM.
