DES MOINES, Iowa - An outbreak of COVID-19 cases at Iowa prisons appears to be subsiding.
Almost 1,400 prisoners systemwide were infected with the virus last Friday after outbreaks at the Amamosa, Clarinda and North Central prisons.
That number dropped to less than 600 as of Wednesday morning.
The Anamosa prison in Jones County saw the biggest surge in COVID-19 cases with 679 at one point. Jones County is the only Iowa county to reach a14-day virus positivity rate is 50 percent.
The Jones County rate fell to under 40 percent as of Wednesday morning, with the Amamosa prison reporting 260 virus cases at the same time.
Two Iowa inmates have died from complications related to COVID-19 in the last week.