MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Kansas prison officials said Monday that 113 inmates at a work-release facility where a resident tested positive for the coronavirus have been relocated to a facility where an outbreak is ongoing and that last week staged a riot.
The Kansas Department of Corrections said the Wichita Work Release Facility inmates who were relocated Sunday night lived in the same housing unit as the infected resident. They were moved to a newly reconstructed building at the Lansing Correctional Facility, which is battling its own outbreak with 18 inmates and 21 staff testing positive.
The Lansing prison, which was the site of a riot last week, is undergoing a massive construction project and hadn’t moved inmates into the new building until the outbreak. That is allowing the building to be used as an isolation facility, said Gov. Laura Kelly.
Kelly also reiterated at her daily news briefing that efforts are underway to identify inmates who are close to finishing their sentences and can be released.
Statewide, the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 grew Monday to 1,376, up 39 from Sunday. The number of deaths increased by six to 62. As has been the case elsewhere in the country, it’s hitting black Kansans harder, with nearly 29 cases per 100,000 white residents and nearly 104 per 100,000 black residents, according to data from the state’s health department. The data was incomplete, though, with racial information missing for 26% of cases.
Lee Norman, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, said the state is monitoring 23 outbreaks, including 12 in long-term care facilities.
The largest is at the Riverbend Post Acute Rehabilitation of Kansas City, where 90 residents and 20 staff tested positive. Twelve have died and five are hospitalized, health officials said Monday. Nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities have been particularly hard hit by the outbreak nationwide because they serve a vulnerable population.
Norman also said the number of outbreaks at religious setting had risen to five. One stemming from a minister’s conference last month in Wyandotte County has resulted in 46 positive cases and four deaths.
The outbreaks led to Kelly’s fight last week to limit religious and funeral services to no more than 10 people in advance of Easter. After a legislative council overturned her executive order, the Kansas Supreme Court upheld it Saturday.
There is no indication that any churches were cited for holding excessively large Easter services, although one in Leavenworth County is under investigation, said Leavenworth County Undersheriff Jim Sherley.
Junction City police Chief John Lamb said a commanding office went to Calvary Baptist Church after Pastor Aaron Harris disparaged the court’s decision in a tweet, writing that he would proceed with services and prayed law enforcement would “respect the constitution.” Lamb said less than 10 people were in attendance at each service, so no one was cited.
In the Lawrence area, around 40 cars were parked at Heritage Baptist Church. But Douglas County County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Jenn Hethcoat said the church wasn’t cited because of a technical issue — the Secretary of State had not yet published Kelly’s executive order on church gatherings in the Kansas Register.
A news release said that the department would attempt to secure voluntary compliance but was prepared to enforce the order if there is “a danger to the public, or flagrant or repeated violations.” Violations can result in fines of up to $2,500 and possible jail time.
Kelly said enforcement was up to local law enforcement.
“I am hoping that we don’t see any other clusters as a result of what we saw over the weekend,” she said. “Time will tell.”
