Kansas Department of Corrections officials today reported additional staff have tested positive for COVID-19 at Lansing Correctional Facility, plus the first resident at LCF has tested positive.
The state prison is implementing a new operating schedule beginning Saturday afternoon and evening, according to the announcement.
The fourth staff member to test positive was a man over 20, and the resident who tested positive is a man over 50, according to a news release from KDOC.
As with the cases on March 31, the KDOC has been in consultation with officials from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) on next steps to address these circumstances. Additional steps taken today, according to officials, include:
• Reduced movement of residents so that they will remain in their units, but are not locked down in cells
• Necessary movement to recreation or jobs will occur primarily in groups, or cohorts, from the same unit
• Staffing has been modified due to increased absences
“The additional steps today illustrate our continued effort to follow all guidelines issued by public health officials,” Jeff Zmuda, KDOC secretary, said in a news release. “We appreciate the continued support and guidance of KDHE and Governor Laura Kelly, as we conduct our work in these challenging times.”
The Lansing Correctional Facility, formerly the Kansas State Penitentiary, opened in 1867 during the presidency of Andrew Johnson and is the oldest and largest state correctional facility in Kansas. Serving only males, the facility capacity is 1,906 offenders.