The Department of Health (DOH) confirms a newly admitted inmate at the Hawaii Community Correctional Center (HCCC) tested positive for COVID-19. Yesterday, the Department of Public Safety (PSD) was notified that the new inmate came in contact with someone prior to entry who was positive for COVID-19. The inmate was medically isolated while PSD awaited the results of confirmatory testing by the DOH State Laboratories Division on Oahu. The DOH is conducting contact tracing. PSD staff were notified and encouraged to contact their health care providers if they have questions about possible exposure.
“The Hawaii Community Correctional Center immediately enacted their pandemic protocol to contain this one case. All of the credit goes to the HCCC security and medical staff who have worked very hard to safeguard the staff and inmates and keep the virus from spreading within the facility,” said Maria Cook, Deputy Director for Administration/Acting Director.
Efforts to contain the outbreak at the Oahu Community Correctional Center (OCCC) are working. PSD received 33 inmate test results from DOH-led mass testing at the facility. Of the 33, only 3 were positive and 30 negative. There are currently no inmates hospitalized. Inmate recoveries increased to 290. Of the 54 staff tests results received 1 was positive.
*Administration Division includes administrative services, fiscal, personnel, training and staff development and the offices under the Director.
**Numbers are subject to change as pending results are received. The total number of positive and negative tests to date can be found on PSD’s COVID-19 information website.
PSD staff continue to practice recommended precautions for the health and safety of the public, our staff and the inmates under our supervision including the use of proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). All facilities have been issued PPE and routinely keep an inventory of PPE for continuous distribution to staff as recommended in the Pandemic Plan. Each employee has been issued several face masks. Face shields have been issued to all facilities for distribution to staff as added protection. Staff have access to gloves and other protective supplies, available all over the facility.
For more information on PSD’s planning and response to COVID-19, inmate testing data, and information detailing the efforts made to safeguard the inmates, staff and public, visit our webpage at: http://dps.hawaii.gov/blog/2020/03/17/coronavirus-covid-19-information-and-resources/