National Guard called in to help test Connell prison inmates. COVID infection still spreading

Washington National Guard will be helping with expanded COVID-19 testing at the Coyote Ridge Corrections Center, the Washington State Department of Corrections announced Wednesday.

All employees at the Connell prison’s minimum security unit will be tested in addition to staff and inmates in the medium security complex.

As of Wednesday, 42 state employees have tested positive, as well as 100 inmates.

The corrections department said in a news release it is working with the Benton Franklin Health District, Washington Department of Health and the Washington National Guard to conduct testing at the facility.

While the Department of Corrections had not yet responded to questions from the Herald, Franklin County Commissioner Clint Didier said during a commission meeting Tuesday that he was told by Coyote Ridge Superintendent Jeffrey Utecht that serial testing will take place, testing inmates every five days.

Didier also said that the National Guard is to arrive at the Connell prison on June 24.

As of June 18, 1,784 medium-security inmates are in quarantine, which means they may have been exposed to the virus. There were 17 more inmates in isolation because they have symptoms and are separated from healthy people.

Activities in medium security areas remain locked down to help deter the spread. Inmates who are housed in that complex during the restriction will remain in their cells without the ability to freely enter and leave their cells and have limited time outdoors.

The coronavirus outbreak is by far the largest in all of the state prison facilities. The only other serious outbreak was at the Monroe Correctional Complex where 19 inmates and 10 employees tested positive.

Last week, Coyote Ridge inmate Victor Bueno died from COVID-19 complications. He is the only coronavirus fatality in the Washington State Department of Corrections system, said the state.

The 68-year-old died three months before he was due to be released after serving nearly three years for violating a protection order.

This story was originally published June 24, 2020 at 2:47 PM.