The Mount Pleasant prison has reported its first positive COVID-19 test for an inmate.
The Department of Corrections says the inmate was placed in medical isolation when he first reported he was not feeling well on Wednesday, July 8th. The inmate was then taken to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) and tested for COVID-19 on Thursday, July 9th.
The inmate was informed his first test was negative. He was given a second test, and the prison was informed that this test was also negative. Later that day, the U-I hospitals reported the inmate test was in fact positive for COVID-19, and he will remain at the hospital for care and monitoring.
The Department of Public Health and State Hygienic Lab will be conducting additional testing of staff and inmates at the facility to identify those that might be carrying the virus while asymptomatic.