The COVID-19 outbreak at Alaska’s largest prison continues to grow.
A total of 299 inmates at the Goose Creek Correctional Center near Wasilla had tested positive for the virus as of Tuesday. That’s an increase of nearly 100 since last Wednesday, when 204 people had reportedly tested positive.
Department of Corrections spokesperson Sarah Gallagher said the infections are spread across four housing units, or mods, forcing everyone housed there to go into quarantine.
Of the nearly 300 cases, about a third are considered recovered, Gallagher said. Four inmates were hospitalized with the disease. Three have since recovered and returned to Goose Creek. The fourth, a 69-year-old man, died on Sunday morning from complications related to the virus
The corrections department says it is conducting testing on the affected mods every three days and working with a state health department contractor for a facility-wide testing sweep.
Goose Creek houses over 1,300 inmates, according to the most recent report from the Alaska Justice Information Center.
Lex Treinen is covering the state Legislature for Alaska Public Media. Reach him at ltreinen@gmail.com.
