FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (20-228)

CONTACT Laura Strimple, Chief of Staff

OFFICE 402-479-5713 | laura.strimple@nebraska.gov

November 20, 2020 (Lincoln, Neb.) – Three housing units at the Omaha Correctional Center (OCC) have been placed on a combination of quarantine and medical isolation due inmates testing positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Swabs have been collected from more than 500 inmates over the past several days. Nearly 300 results are negative and 112 are positive. More than 100 results are still pending.

“We are currently moving individuals so they are housed appropriately, based on their results,” said Scott R. Frakes, director of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (NDCS). “This is an ever-evolving process that involves many moving parts, but we want to ensure that we limit transmission of the virus as quickly and as effectively as possible.”

OCC is the most recent facility to experience an outbreak of the coronavirus. Other facilities including the community correctional centers, Nebraska State Penitentiary (NSP), and the Diagnostic and Evaluation Center (DEC) previously experienced similar outbreaks. Housing units at the Lincoln Correctional Center (LCC) and Tecumseh State Correctional Institution (TSCI) remain on medical isolation and quarantine since positive cases began emerging last week. The Work Ethic Camp (WEC) is scheduled to resume normal operations next week.

“It has been ‘all hands on deck’ since the virus landed on our radar earlier this year, and it has not slowed down since,” noted Dir. Frakes. “Our team members have stepped up in amazing ways to make sure our response gives us the best possible outcomes – both in terms of delivering quality health care and slowing the spread of the virus.”

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