COVID-19 outbreak at Iowa juvenile detention center leaves 17 boys, staffers infected

A coronavirus outbreak at Iowa’s Boys State Training School has left 12 students and five staff members infected, according to the Iowa Department of Human Services.

The facility in Eldora provides treatment and schooling for boys who have been found delinquent for committing crimes in juvenile court, the Department of Human Services said.

The outbreak began July 20, when a staff member tested positive for coronavirus. The first student at the school tested positive July 23, the state said.

By July 26, 11 additional students and four more staff members contracted the virus, Iowa’s state department said.

All students, teachers and school personnel were tested after the first student tested positive last week.

“We’ve deep cleaned and disinfected the cottages,” the department said July 23. “Students are being offered masks. Nurses are explaining the importance of masks and additional hygiene measures during known positives on campus.”

The facility holds around 70 boys, according to the Des Moines Register. It provides “educational, psychological, psychiatric and behavioral programs” and offers GED, high school and college credits for boys ages 12 to 18, the state said.

There have been 138 positive cases in Hardin County, where the facility is located, as of July 28, according to the state health department.