By Allison Stormo
Tri-City Herald
CONNELL, Wash. — The number of postive COVID cases at Coyote Ridge Corrections Center in Connell has once again increased.
The number of combined inmate and staff cases reached 117 as of Wednesday, according to the state Department of Corrections. Of those cases, 82 are inmates and 35 are employees.
That is more than triple the number on June 1, when there were 35 total cases. The spread has continued despite 1,815 inmates being quarantined after being exposed to the coronavirus but not exhibiting any symptoms.
It’s by far the biggest outbreak in all of Washington state prisons.
The only other serious COVID outbreak has been at the Monroe Correctional Complex where 19 inmates and 10 employees have tested positive.
“It is unclear at this time why the facility has experienced a higher level of positive cases,” Janelle Guthrie, coommuniations director with the corrections department told the herald.
Additional protections
So far, the only inmates being tested at the prison in rural Franklin County about 30 miles north of Pasco are those who show symptoms.
“The department is working with the State Emergency Operations Center and the Department of Health to explore additional testing strategies to continue to mitigate the spread of the virus and protect our population and staff,” the state told the Herald last week when asked if it planned to expand testing to asymptomatic individuals.
During a news conference on Tuesday, Reed Schuler, senior policy advisor with the Office of the Governor, said that the state is focused on ensuring the Department of Corrections has adequate testing and that an announcement on further testing at Coyote Ridge is expected in coming days.
Last week the prison put its medium security complex on lockdown to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
A state official told the Herald that the coronavirus cases were contained to the medium security complex and no positive cases are confirmed in the prison’s minimum security unit, which had not been put on restricted movement.
Inmates who are housed in medium security during the restriction will remain in their cells without the ability to freely enter and exit their cells. They will have limited time outside.
“Access to outside medical resources in the community is limited to a team of volunteer EMS professionals and hospitals more than one hour away,” said the release.
“The Department is deploying additional custody and health services staff to assist CRCC staff in caring for those incarcerated at the facility,” it said.
The agency shifted food production to a Spokane-area prison and also will bring in food from outside vendors, said the department.
The laundry and food services will continue to operate with essential workers being screened as they start their shifts. They will wear personal protective equipment, such as face coverings, and practiced social distancing, said the state.
Concerns addressed
A report released June 5 by the Office of the Corrections Ombuds, said the assistant ombuds visited Coyote Ridge on May 15 and said masks were not properly worn and employees were seen gathered in an office and not everyone was wearing a mask.
On June 12, the corrections department told the Herald that they are constantly reviewing practices and updating guidelines but do require PPE and social distancing for all staff and inmates, and assign quality assurance spotters to remind individuals adhere to the regulations as well as reminders for frequent hand washing.
Staff and any other individual entering Coyote Ridge also must go through a temperature check and COVID-19 screening questionnaire.
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©2020 Tri-City Herald (Kennewick, Wash.)