Eight employees at Salinas Valley State Prison test positive for COVID-19

SOLEDAD, Calif. (KION)

UPDATE 7/16/2020 5 p.m. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation reports that a total of eight employees at Salinas Valley State Prison have tested positive for COVID-19.

One of the employees has returned to work.

According to the CDCR, there are no active cases among inmates, but three people have recovered from the virus.

UPDATE 5/27/2020 6 p.m. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation reports that a second employee at Salinas Valley State Prison has tested positive for COVID-19.

Two months ago, the first employee tested positive. That person has returned to work, according to CDCR.

Statewide, a total of 272 employees have tested positive for COVID-19. 142 of them have returned to work.

PREVIOUS STORY: The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said a staff member at Salinas Valley State Prison in Soledad has tested positive for COVID-19.

CDCR said 17 employees with their facilities state-wide have tested positive for the virus in total.

One inmate at Salinas Valley State Prison has been tested for the virus, and one inmate at the Correctional Training Facility has been tested. Neither inmate has received a positive confirmation.

All CDCR institutions are conducting additional deep-cleaning efforts in high-traffic, high-volume areas, including visiting and health care facilities. 

KION reached out to the prison for more details and will update this article when we get more information.