Wyoming to test all inmates for coronavirus
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - Wyoming corrections officials plan to test all inmates and employees for the coronavirus.
Wyoming and Hawaii are the only states that haven't reported cases of COVID-19 among their inmate populations. Corrections Department Director Bob Lampert said Wednesday he wants to confirm that's indeed the case in Wyoming.
The testing will begin Monday at the Wyoming Honor Farm in Riverton, followed by the Women's Center in Lusk, the Honor Camp in Newcastle and the state maximum- and medium-security prisons in Rawlins and Torrington.
Regular surveillance testing will continue after every inmate is tested by the end of August.
Corrections officials say the tests aren't optional and inmates who refuse to be tested will need to quarantine for two weeks.
Wyoming on Wednesday had 461 active cases of the coronavirus, up threefold over the past month. Twelve people were hospitalized and 21 had died.
The number of infections is thought to be far higher than reported numbers because many people haven't been tested and studies suggest people can be infected without feeling sick.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.
