Department of Corrections employees test positive for coronavirus

(WAFB) - The Louisiana Department of Corrections (DOC) has confirmed its first two positive cases of coronavirus.

The two employees work at different state prisons and are at home in self isolation, DOC officials say. These employees had limited contact with other staff and inmates.

Due to HIPAA restrictions and security concerns, the DOC will not release the names of the individuals or the facilities at which they work.

Inmates who may have been exposed have been quarantined and are asymptomatic with no fever, officials say. Employees who had contact with the infected staff were sent home to self-quarantine.

“The reality is we are all at risk to this virus,” said DOC Secretary Jimmy Le Blanc. “Early on, we activated our department regulations and prison policies and took proactive measures in preparation for COVID-19.”

As of Thursday, March 26, there are no positive COVID-19 cases among the state’s inmate population, DOC officials say. There have been 32 state inmates who have tested negative for COVID-19.

In the interest of public safety and maintaining order and stability in state-run prisons, DOC says it will not disclose the names of the institutions housing inmates who have been tested.

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