SOMERS, Conn. — The Department of Corrections said the Osborn Correction Institution was placed in lockdown Friday night due to over 100 inmates being asymptomatic positive test results for COVID-19.
The DOC began testing all its staff and inmates at the prison on May 13. After two days of testing 617 inmates, the results of 339 tests returned with 105 of those confirmed positive for COVID-19. The 278 remaining test results are still pending from the lab.
A portion of the inmate population opted out of being tested. Out of caution, the DOC will treat these inmates as if they are asymptomatic carriers. Their isolation period will be 14 days. The Osborn facility holds 1,060 inmates.
So far, 163 DOC staff members have been tested for from area facilities including Osborn, Northern, Robinson, and Willard-Cybulski. Those results are still pending.
“We are grateful to see the availability for mass testing become a reality. By testing everybody - staff as well as offenders, we are better able to protect everybody, those who are infected and those who are not.” said Commissioner Rollin Cook. “The hope is that no one who tests positive becomes symptomatic, but if they do we are prepared to care for them.”
About 300 staff members have returned to work out of the 369 who have tested positive for COVID-19. As of May 15, 540 inmates have tested positive for the virus and more than 430 have recovered.
