LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Even as a vaccine began trickling out to states this week, Nebraska's prisons continue to struggle with the spread of the coronavirus.
The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services said 18 staff members across the state's prison system have tested positive for the virus since the end of last week. On Saturday, the department said in a news release that 11 staffers had tested positive. Another three infected staffers were announced Sunday, and late Monday, the department said four more staffers had tested positive.
All those infected are self-isolating at home, the agency said. The latest numbers brings the total of prison employees who have tested positive to 409 since the outbreak began. Of those, 313 have since recovered, the agency said.
As of Friday, 786 inmates had tested positive for the virus since the beginning of the outbreak, and six inmates have died from it, the department said on its website.