SAINT PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota State Hospital in St. Peter has its first confirmed case of coronavirus. That, as the Corrections commissioner believes there are 17 cases in the Moose Lake Prison: four inmates who tested positive and 11 more with symptoms. Plus one staff member who tested positive and another with symptoms.
"Well right now when people are either symptomatic or when we have positive test results, they are put in a quarantine setting," said Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell.
Schnell said the Department of Corrections has had on the books for a long time a "pandemic continuance of operations plan."
"We have plans for every single contingency, up to and including full, facility-wide spread," Schnell says.
Schnell says they have already stopped inmates from having contact with inmates from other units to prevent large-scale spread. And they isolate and quarantine those infected or showing symptoms.
There has been talk at the Department of Corrections about possibly giving early release or work release to non-violent offenders who are within 90 days of their scheduled release.
At the Hennepin County jail, they have reduced the number of inmates from 850 to 500 over the last three weeks, releasing non-violent offenders.
The jail has negative-pressure cells that can be used to prevent a sick person from spreading the virus. They use Hennepin Healthcare doctors and nurses to treat inmates. And they too have a plan in case of a widespread outbreak.
"If there is a widespread outbreak, we can separate people from the city hall jail to the newer jail so there is no cross-contamination at all," said Sheriff David Hutchinson.
Sheriff Hutchinson and Commissioner Schnell both emphasize that they will not release violent offenders during the pandemic.
Besides the Moose Lake prison, there is a confirmed case at a juvenile facility in Red Wing. A staff member tested positive, and they quarantined some staff and juvenile inmates in response.
KARE 11’s coverage of the coronavirus is rooted in Facts, not Fear. Visit kare11.com/coronavirus for comprehensive coverage, find out what you need to know about the Midwest specifically, learn more about the symptoms, and see what companies in Minnesota are hiring. Have a question? Text it to us at 763-797-7215. And get the latest coronavirus updates sent right to your inbox every morning. Subscribe to the KARE 11 Sunrise newsletter here. Help local families in need: www.kare11.com/give11.
The state of Minnesota has set up a hotline for general questions about coronavirus at 651-201-3920 or 1-800-657-3903, available 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.