CORALVILLE, Iowa - The Iowa Department of Corrections has reported the first COVID-19/coronavirus case of an inmate. The prisoneris at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center (IMCC) in Coralville.
One correctional officer, at Iowa Medical and Classification Center in Coralville, tested positive for the virus last week. By contrast, six inmates have died in neighboring Illinois, at a state prison in Joliet. There, 123 inmates and 65 staff members have tested positive for COVID-19.
The Iowa inmate with the virus was admitted to IMCC from Henry County on Thursday. The department says it's placing all new admissions to in an intake quarantine for 14-days, as a means to protect against the spread of the virus.
The new inmate was tested after showing symptoms of COVID-19, and the test came back positive.
The department says inmate, who is a male between 18-40 years-old, is in medical isolation. It also says a thorough contact tracing is taking place to identify any inmates or staff that may have had exposure since his arrival.
The inmate is not being identified because of privacy laws.