2 OCCC, 1 HCF COVID-positive cases reported as PSD continues to mass test all Hawaii prisons

HONOLULU (KHON2) — The public safety department continues its initiative to test all Hawaii correctional facilities for the coronavirus.

Officials reported that one employee, who last worked with Halawa Correctional Center on Sept. 21, tested positive for the virus. The employee was tested outside of the facility and when the results came back positive, the individual notified HCF on Wednesday, Sept. 23. Contact tracing for this case is underway.

Halawa Correctional Facility has completed its testing. The second batch of results for the 276 additional inmates returned negative on Wednesday, Sept. 23. Two-hundred-fifty results came out negative the day before.

Over at the Oahu Community Correctional Center, one inmate and one employee tested positive on Wednesday. Despite the two new cases, department officials say that the outbreak at the facility is under control. Of all the inmates who contracted the virus, over 96 percent of them have recovered.

On Hawaii Island, Kulani Correctional Facility has also completed its testing for its 164 inmates. The first batch of results for 78 inmates returned negative.

Department officials have not yet decided on which facility will be tested next for the virus.