Federal Detention Center Honolulu confirms case of COVID-19

The Federal Detention Center is located near the Honolulu Airport.
The Federal Detention Center is located near the Honolulu Airport.(HNN (custom credit))
Updated: Aug. 3, 2020 at 9:53 AM HST
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HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - The Federal Detention Center Honolulu confirmed Monday a case of COVID-19 at the facility.

According to a spokeswoman, the patient is an inmate.

The spokeswoman told Hawaii News Now this is the first confirmed positive case. However, she said another inmate was tested in early July and placed into quarantine pending results. The inmate, however, was released on bond two days later and received a positive test result the following day.

The facility has several safety protocols in place to prevent the spread of the virus, including testing all arriving or departing inmates.

If an inmate tests negative and is asymptomatic, he or she is placed in quarantine for a minimum of 14 days and must test negative again before being among the general population.

Inmates who test positive are place in isolation until cleared by a medical professional.

Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, there has been great concern about how quickly the virus can spread through a prison population.

As of July 28, more than 78,000 prisoners have been diagnosed in the country and 766 have died, according to a nonprofit journalism initiative called The Marshall Project.

This story will be updated.

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