Dozens of inmates at a Vermont prison have tested positive for coronavirus.
The Vermont Department of Corrections said Thursday that it tested all inmates and staff at the Northwest State Correctional Facility in Waterbury after learning that one prisoner had tested positive, a case that was announced Wednesday.
After the initial round of results, 28 more inmates were found to have COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. Authorities said all of these inmates are currently asymptomatic.
Five additional staff members have also tested positive, bringing the total to eight.
The sick inmates will be taken to a facility in St. Johnsbury, and the staff members will be quarantined at home.
The department said the full results will be completed and announced Friday.
Inmates and workers have been given masks to wear at all times. The facility has been on lockdown since Monday after the second and third staff members were diagnosed with COVID-19.
