LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The first inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 at Louisville Metro Corrections.
In a release, Corrections spokesman Steve Durham said two of 163 inmates and one of 28 employees tested positive for the virus on May 7. Two tests are still pending.
One of the inmates testing positive has been in custody since March 3, and the other since April 17. Both inmates are asymptotic. Both inmates were told of their status then moved to negative pressure cells on the jail's medical floor by officers dressed in full PPE. Workers then sanitized the path from the housing unit to the medical floor.
The 50 inmates that were in the unit with the two that tested positive were educated about safety practices. Temperature checks are being done on the inmates twice a day. Each inmate in that dorm has been given a surgical mask.
The dorms that housed the two positive inmates have been sanitized by corrections staff, and movement is being restricted in and out of the dorms. Deep cleaning is being done each shift in the affected dorm, and high-touch surfaces are being cleaned daily.
Inmates coming into Metro Corrections are being checked for symptoms and having their temperature taken. Employees are also screened before reporting to workstations each day. All employees are also required to wear a cloth mask at work, and cloth masks have been ordered for all inmates. Those masks are expected to arrive this week.
Louisville Metro Public Health & Wellness continues to test inmates and staff at Metro Corrections. To date, 24 LMDC employees who have tested positive.
Inmate populations have been vulnerable during the pandemic, including in Kentucky. The Green River Corrections Complex in Muhlenburg County has more than 400 COVID-19 cases reported from staff and inmates.
Some inmates have filed suit against Kevin Mazza, the Green River warden, asking judges to order their release as a result of “cruel and unusual punishment.” They claim there is inadequate hygiene and social distancing, which they argue puts their lives at risk.
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- As several employees test positive for COVID-19, Metro Corrections isolates inmates who show symptoms
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