Corrections officer at Oakdale tests positive for COVID-19

The Iowa Department of Corrections reported late Friday that a correctional officer at the Iowa Medical and Classification Center at Oakdale has tested positive for COVID-19.

So far, no inmates have tested positive for COVID-19, according to a DOC news release.

Gov. Kim Reynolds was asked earlier Friday for an update on COVID-19 cases in state correctional institutions and said she was unaware of any.

She said the corrections department as “very proactive” in putting mitigation efforts in place “because we knew that it would problematic.”

“The department has implemented pre-established action steps and procedures for identifying COVID-19 contacts with staff and offenders and quarantining those exposed,” according to a DOC news release.

The Department of Corrections announced March 20 that it was accelerating the release of inmates already approved for parole to help with COVID-19 mitigation efforts.

The officer who tested positive is between the ages of 18 and 40, and last worked April 8, which is when symptoms “began to be present,” the release stated. The officer’s medical advised a test for COVID-19.

The officer is recovering at home, according to the DOC release.

The department posts regular updates, as well as other information such as the steps it has been taking to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 at doc.iowa.gov/covid19.