Second California Men’s Colony inmate tests positive for coronavirus
A second California Men’s Colony inmate has tested positive for COVID-19, a prison spokesman said Wednesday.
So far, 18 inmates have been tested for the illness caused by the new coronavirus, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
No staff members at CMC have been affected; the agency did not report how many employees have been tested.
CMC Lt. John Hill said in an email that a contact investigation is currently underway.
The first positive corovirus case was confirmed at the prison April 11.
Spread of COVID-19 in California’s prisons has become a major concern for state officials. Statewide, a total of 147 state inmates have tested positive for the virus.
At Lompoc Federal Penitentiary, 96 inmates have tested positive. The prison has partnered with the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department to build a temporary 100-bed hospital on the penitentiary’s grounds in coming days.
The California Men’s Colony, on the outskirts of San Luis Obispo, is an all-male minimum- to medium-security state prison, with roughly 3,800 inmates and 1,800 employees, according to Warden Josie Gastelo.
This story was originally published April 22, 2020 at 8:18 PM.
