401 COVID-19 cases in Lake County Tenn., 394 linked to Northwest Correctional Complex

LAKE COUNTY, Tenn. (KFVS) - The Tennessee Health Department is reporting 401 cases of COVID-19 in Lake County, including 53 recoveries. 394 of those cases are linked to the Northwest Correctional Complex. with 13 staff members of the complex with the disease.

381 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 and 13 staff members of the complex with the disease.

Officials in Lake County stated in a Facebook post that the inmates are asymptomatic and are isolated from the rest of the prison population.

After 14 days, if they continue to be asymptomatic, they will be released into the general population.

Below is a statement from Mayor Johnson: May 15, 2020 As you are aware, we are in a pandemic in America and yes, even...
Posted by Lake County Government on Friday, May 15, 2020

1,168 people in the county have been tested for COVID-19.

Tennessee recently launched an effort to test all prison inmates and staff.

Masks are being distributed to all staff and inmates.

On May 13, the Department of corrections posted a video on Facebook outlining the Department’s COVID-19 management.

COVID-19 Timeline of Events: March - April
The novel coronavirus has greatly impacted our daily lives: how we work, how we play, how we live. This is most certainly true for the TN Dept. of Correction; as a result of COVID-19 we have had to make modifications to the way we conduct our daily business, enacting protocols & procedures to ensure the safety and health of our Officers and staff and our offender population. With such an incredibly fluid situation, it can be difficult to keep up with the changes. This in of itself can be concerning, as misunderstanding and confusion can cause issues and aggravate anxiety. So, in an effort to help keep you up-to-date we’ve put together this brief timeline regarding all that has happened through the month of April, and how the Department is working to manage the situation.
Posted by Tennessee Department of Correction on Wednesday, May 13, 2020

The state has also set up a FAQ page for the families of those who are incarcerated in Tennessee prisons during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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