Now There's A Coronavirus Outbreak At The Women's Prison In Corona

Another state prison is experiencing a coronavirus outbreak: This time it’s the California Institution for Women in Corona.

After a few inmates were confirmed sick last week, the prison worked with local public health officials to ramp up testing. On May 8 and May 12, a total of 400 inmates were tested, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

"We are seeing an increase in positive cases," although most inmates are asymptomatic, the department said in a statement.

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The entire prison is now quarantined "until further notice," it said, adding that the facility will severely limit movement internally and suspend all activities where it can't achieve physical distancing.

A previously unoccupied housing unit will be used to isolate those inmates who tested positive but are asymptomatic. Those with symptoms will be treated at the prison's treatment center or at an outside facility "as needed," the department said.

The prison will pursue “additional mass testing” of inmates, while also offering testing to all staff, it added.

So far, in California's state prison system only the men's prison in Chino and the state prison in L.A. County have had significant numbers of coronavirus cases.

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UPDATE:

7:03 p.m.: An earlier version of this article said the prison was working with officials from San Bernardino County. The prison is in Riverside County.