An inmate at the Anchorage Correctional Complex has tested positive for the coronavirus, the Department of Corrections said in a news release on Tuesday. It’s the second inmate in Alaska to test positive for disease.
The corrections department says that it was informed of the positive result at the Anchorage jail on Tuesday morning, and it’s working with state health officials to trace who the inmate had contact with.
RELATED: State begins testing everyone at Lemon Creek Correctional Center for COVID-19
In late April, an inmate at the Goose Creek Correctional Center in Wasilla tested positive for the coronavirus. But a contact-tracing investigation turned up no further positive cases, according to the corrections department.
Also, in Juneau, 11 staff members at the Lemon Creek Correctional Center have tested positive for the virus, but no inmates, the department says.
The department says its investigation into the positive test in Anchorage is ongoing.
There were more than 800 inmates at the Anchorage jail in late April, according to the University of Alaska Anchorage’s Alaska Justice Information Center. The jail is located off East 3rd Avenue and Post Road.
So far, across the state, about 400 Alaskans have tested positive for the coronavirus, and 348 have recovered. Also, 10 nonresidents have tested positive for the disease while in the state.
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Lex Treinen is covering the state Legislature for Alaska Public Media. Reach him at ltreinen@gmail.com.
