DES MOINES, Iowa - COVID-19 cases continue to spike in the Iowa prison system.
The Anamosa prison in Jones County saw a surge of almost 200 cases between Wednesday and Friday. As of Friday morning, there were 679 cases at the Anamosa facility, compared to 494 Wednesday.
Jones County currently has the most severe spike of COVID-19, with a positivity rate over a 14-day period of 48.6 percent as of Friday morning. By comparison, school districts in counties with a 15 percent positivity rate can apply to the state to conduct online only classes.
Prison outbreaks have also been reported this week at the Clarinda and North Central facilities, where each have several hundred cases (380 at Clarinda, 256 at North Central).
There are 1,382 COVID-19 cases at Iowa prisons statewide, while 134 staff members are currently infected with the virus.