CLARINDA, Iowa - An inmate at the state prison in Clarinda is the latest report of a growing number of COVID-19 cases in Iowa's prison system.
It follows 15 inmates and five staff members who have tested positive at the Medical Classification Center (MDCC) in Coralville. The MDCC serves as an intake center for many of the Department of Corrections' (DOC) facilities.
A total of 243 have been tested statewide, with intensive testing initialed in Coralville on April 22, after a single inmate tested positive there.
The inmate at the Clarinda Correctional Center is a male between 18-40 years old. The prison says he's been in isolation since telling staff he wasn't feeling well on Saturday, April 25th.
The union representing workers in the DOC has been highly critical of the department's handling of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The DOC has a COVID-19 hotline, 515-373-5457. The department says it's taken numerous steps to prepare for and mitigate the impact of COVID-19. No prisoner visits have been allowed since min March.