KANSAS CITY, Mo. — All inmates at the Lansing Correctional Facility will now be tested for COVID-19.
More than 70 staff and more than 70 residents have tested positive for the virus already.
The facility was able to increase testing last week, and 240 men in open-dormitory living were tested. Of those, approximately 75% were found positive and asymptomatic for COVID-19.
Because of this finding, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment is making testing available to the entire facility population.
Medical monitoring will take place for all positive cases. If cases get severe, inmates will be taken to the hospital.
“From day one, we have known a more robust testing strategy is key to understanding the spread of COVID-19. A limited supply chain prevented us from doing so, until recently,” KDHE Secretary Dr. Lee Norman said in a news release. “Unfortunately, the results we received from Lansing confirm how quickly this virus spreads and the unique characteristics of being positive, but not showing any signs or symptoms. Increased testing is beneficial, but it also may reveal the broader spread of the virus. As we work to reopen our state, it is absolutely critical Kansans follow our guidance related to mass gatherings, social distancing and wearing of masks in public."
A facility-wide quarantine will be put in place for at least 14 days.
