Kansas City-area correctional facilities see rise in COVID-19 cases

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jackson County Sheriff Darryl Forte tweeted Monday that four inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 and 96 inmates are in precautionary quarantine at the Jackson County Detention Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

Forte said COVID-19 cases are trending up at the detention center.

"I am very much concerned about inmates and staff contracting COVID," Forte said. "I will offer voluntary vaccinations to inmates and staff if the trend continues. Safety, security and the wellness of all remain a priority."

Looking at other KC area correctional facilities, the largest increase in COVID-19 cases came from the Western Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in St. Joseph, Missouri. According to the Missouri Department of Correction's COVID-19 data, the center reported 13 active inmate cases and seven staff cases, up from six inmate cases and one staff case last Monday.

The Chillicothe Correctional Center had the second largest jump with 16 active inmate cases and five staff cases, up from nine active inmate cases and zero staff cases.

The Kansas City Reentry Center reported zero inmate COVID-19 cases, but they did report one staff case, up from zero cases last week.

The only KCMO-area facility that reported a decrease in cases was the Western Missouri Correctional Center in Cameron, Missouri, which currently has zero cases down from three inmate cases.

On the Kansas side, there are no active inmate or staff cases at the Lansing Correctional Facility. There are also no active inmate cases of COVID-19 in Johnson County facilities, according to the Johnson County Sheriff's office.

There have been 13 cases at Wyandotte Jail within the past 14 days, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

—