The number of COVID-19 cases at the state’s prisons and jails has continued to grow. On O’ahu, the Department of Public Safety (PSD) coordinated with the Department of Health (DOH) to conduct mass testing of all O’ahu Community Correctional Center (OCCC) inmates in each of the 19 individual housing units there. Wednesday, 63 inmates were tested by the Department of Health. Results were obtained for 40 inmates; 35 came back positive and 5 negative. Five tests that were conducted on August 11 by OCCC health care staff resulted in 3 positive and 2 negative. As previously reported, 110 inmates were tested Tuesday with 70 testing positive and 40 negative.
All remaining inmates will be tested in the coming days. Of the 26 staff members tested on August 12, 16 were negative. The other results are pending. DOH testing is being afforded to ACOs first in the hotspot areas (Annex 1, Module 18 and 19) and then the rest of the staff.
Total PSD positive COVID-19 test results at all facilities. Those on Hawaii Island are in bold.
| Corrections Division | Staff | Inmate |
| Hawaii CCC | 0 | 0 |
| Kaua’i CCC | 0 | 0 |
| Maui CCC | 0 | 0 |
| O’ahu CCC | 19 | 124 |
| Halawa Correctional Facility | 1 | 0 |
| Kulani Correctional Facility | 0 | 0 |
| Women’s CCC | 0 | 0 |
| Wai’awa Correctional Facility | 2 | 0 |
| Sheriff Division | 1 | NA |
| Total | 23 | 124 |
* Numbers are subject to change as pending results are received.
The State Department of Public Safety says it has put COVID-19 precautions into place:
- If an inmate presents with symptoms of a respiratory illness, PSD Health Care Division’s staff will perform a full evaluation, including testing for COVID-19 and common infectious respiratory illnesses such as Influenza.
- Health care staff conduct onsite specimen collection using the nasopharyngeal swab and submit the specimen to DOH or Clinical Labs for testing.
- Inmates pending testing are immediately placed in medical isolation.
- The facilities have longstanding outbreak management plans in place to quickly identify, isolate and treat communicable diseases. They remain vigilant in their efforts to prevent and slow the spread of COVID-19.
The Office of the Public Defender petitioned the State Supreme Court to release prisoners and take better COVID-19 precautions. The State Supreme Court held an online hearing today and is taking the matter under advisement.
Photo is Nolan Espinda, head of the Department of Public Safety. Photo below is O’ahu Community Correctional Center.
