Sep 17, 2020

COVID-19 outbreak reported at South Dakota women's prison

Posted Sep 17, 2020 7:17 PM

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Over a hundred inmates have tested positive at a minimum-security women’s prison in Pierre, South Dakota.

Mass testing of inmates resulted in the Department of Corrections finding 102 active cases.

There are 140 women held at the prison, according to an Aug. 31 count.

Four staff members have also tested positive, with one fully recovered.

Michael Winder, a spokesman for the Department of Corrections, says that the prison has placed positive cases into isolation.

The outbreak at the prison contributed to state health officials reporting one of the highest one-day tallies for new cases on Thursday, with 395 people testing positive statewide.