COVID-19 outbreak grows at prison in southwest Washington
Larch Corrections Center (Washington State Department of Corrections)
YACOLT, Wash. - Cases in a COVID-19 outbreak at a minimum security prison in southwest Washington have been climbing.
A Washington Department of Corrections bulletin Monday reported the number of active COVID-19 cases jumped to 41 among incarcerated individuals at Larch Corrections Center, a nearly 193% increase since Friday, The Columbian reported.
The prison near Yacolt was placed on facility-wide outbreak status on Feb. 7 after four inmates in the living unit tested positive.
Incarcerated individuals who test positive are being temporarily relocated to another unit to help stop virus spread, officials said.
Corrections officials also said six employees are included in the outbreak total.
Since the pandemic began, 322 incarcerated individuals and 65 staff members have tested positive, according to the DOC. Most f those cases came during an outbreak in late 2020, with more than 90% of the inmate population testing positive.
In December, the most recent data available online, Larch’s average daily population was 222, with a capacity of 240.
RELATED: Girl under age 10 becomes first child in Pierce County to die of COVID-19
READ MORE: Republican lawmakers call on Inslee to end state mask mandates
Get breaking news alerts in the FREE FOX 13 Seattle app. Download for Apple iOS or Android. And sign up for BREAKING NEWS emails delivered straight to your inbox.
Stay connected with FOX 13 News on all platforms:
DOWNLOAD: FOX 13 News and Weather Apps
WATCH: FOX 13 News Live
SUBSCRIBE: FOX 13 on YouTube
DAILY BRIEF: Sign Up For Our Newsletter
FOLLOW: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram