AP Photo / John Locher
This April 15, 2015, photo shows guard towers at High Desert State Prison in Indian Springs.
Thursday, March 26, 2020 | 4:58 p.m.
An employee at High Desert State Prison has tested positive for the coronavirus, the first confirmed case in a Nevada Department of Corrections facility, prison officials said.
Officials did not say what the employee does at the prison but noted they were in self-quarantine. The prison is located near Indian Springs, about 40 miles north of Las Vegas.
To mitigate the spread of the virus, inmates were being confined to their cells, and medics were observing them and employees for signs of the illness, officials said. Staffers were also thoroughly cleaning and sanitizing the prison, officials said.
On March 7, the Department of Corrections halted nonessential inmate visits and increased sanitation at its facilities.
“Our top priority is the health of staff and inmates at our facilities,” Department of Corrections Director Charles Daniels said in a statement.
“Our preparation and response is deliberate and in accordance with agency contingency plans and protocols,” he said. “Now that we have a confirmed case, our next goal is mitigating and ultimately preventing the sustained spread of COVID-19.”
