May 13, 2020

Omaha prison inmate tests positive for COVID-19; cases rise

Posted May 13, 2020 4:13 PM

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska prison officials say an inmate at a state work-release center in Omaha has tested positive for COVID-19, marking the first inmate in Nebraska to be confirmed through testing to have the disease.

The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services says that an inmate at the Omaha Community Corrections Center tested positive Tuesday for the virus, leading officials to place the entire prison under quarantine.

That means inmates will be confined to their rooms and can't participate in work detail or work-release jobs until they are medically cleared.

Meanwhile, the state Department of Health and Human Services reported Tuesday that three more people had died from the virus, bringing the total to 103.