KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A staff member at the Kansas Juvenile Correctional Complex in Topeka has tested positive for the coronavirus.
The Kansas Department of Corrections confirmed Wednesday that one staff member has COVID-19. There are now confirmed cases at four facilities run by the KDOC.
The staff member is a female over the age of 20, but no additional information will be provided about her identity.
Positive cases also have been identified at Lansing Correctional Facility, Topeka Correctional Facility and a Wichita Work Release Facility.
With help from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, contact tracing is underway in the prison and the community.
The Kansas Juvenile Correctional Complex was established in 1879 as the State Reform School and houses 154 juvenile inmates.
There are 151 people — 75 staff and 76 inmates, including two prisoners who died this week — with confirmed COVID-19 cases at Lansing Correctional, which announced the second death Wednesday.
Fifteen staff members have returned to work and 49 residents have recovered from the outbreak.
There are five confirmed cases at Topeka Correctional, three staff and two inmates, while three residents of the Wichita Work Release program have tested positive for COVID-19 with one considered to be recovered.
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly promised to consider a plan to release some inmates early to reduce prison overcrowding and prevent possible COVID-19 spread, but no details have been made public.
