OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - A Nebraska prison for women is now under quarantine because of a recent increase in coronavirus cases among inmates and staff members, corrections officials said.
Corrections officials have suspended the inmate visitation program at the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women, according to the Omaha World-Herald. The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services had reopened visitation at its facilities last week.
Corrections Director Scott Frakes said testing was offered to all inmates at the facility, and about 45% have been tested so far. He said those who tested positive are being medically isolated from others.
Frakes said the department hopes to continue its visitation program at other facilities, but will suspend those programs as well if the number of known cases increases again.
Nebraska had 465 people hospitalized with the coronavirus as of Thursday evening, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services. The number has fallen from record highs in mid-November but is still elevated compared to earlier in the pandemic. The number of new daily cases is still trending down as well, to 667 on Thursday.
State officials have confirmed 180,131 cases and 1,818 deaths in Nebraska since the pandemic began.