Officials: 2 Arizona prison inmates test positive for COVID-19, receive treatment

An inmate's hands peer out from inside a jail cell

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PHOENIX - Two Arizona inmates have tested positive for the coronavirus in the first cases of infected prisoners reported since the beginning of the outbreak, officials said.

One of the inmates had been hospitalized since March 27 due to symptoms unrelated to the coronavirus and previously tested negatively twice at the hospital for the virus, the Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry announced Tuesday night in a statement.

The department did not identify the hospital or say where the inmate had been incarcerated.

“Both inmates are receiving appropriate medical care at their current locations,” the department said.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. The vast majority of people recover.

In Arizona, more than 2,500 coronavirus cases with 73 deaths had been reported as of Tuesday.

Prisons are believed to be vulnerable spots for the spread of the coronavirus because inmates with compromised health live in close quarters.

Arizona’s corrections system has more than 42,000 inmates.

Prison personnel separate inmates with flu-like symptoms from the general population for monitoring and appropriate care, the department said.

“Like many correctional systems nationwide, the department has experience managing infectious diseases at its facilities and is taking proactive measures to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading in the inmate population. “”

Gov. Doug Ducey said Tuesday that cloth face masks have been obtained for all corrections officers and more testing is planned, but ruled out early release for vulnerable inmates.

“Not only are we focused on protecting public health, we’re continuing to focus on protecting public safety,” he said. “And we’re not going to be releasing any prisoners at this time.”

Advocates for inmates on Tuesday asked the state Department of Health Services director to order inspections of state prisons to help guard against the coronavirus, saying corrections officials have not consistently followed COVID-19 prevention guidelines and have done an inadequate job of keeping the public informed on those efforts.

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