An additional three Hawaii Community Correctional Center inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 bringing the current cluster of cases at the Hilo jail to five.
The Department of Public Safety placed two of the facility’s three housing units in quarantine Monday after two recently admitted inmates tested positive for the novel coronavirus. On Tuesday, the department said three more inmates tested positive.
Contract tracing continues and voluntary testing is being coordinated for inmates and staff, the department said Tuesday afternoon.
The enactment of the facility’s pandemic protocol, which also suspends all inmate movement from the facility, came less than a month after the facility emerged April 26 from quarantine prompted by two positive tests among staff.
As of the most recent bi-monthly population report issued April 5, Hawaii Community Correctional Center reported housing 298 inmates, which exceeds operational capacity by 72 persons.