MOUNT PLEASANT – Thursday night, the Mount Pleasant Correctional Facility (MPCF) was notified that an inmate has tested positive for COVID-19.
The inmate is an older adult male (ages 55-64), and was placed in medical isolation when he first reported to Health Services that he was not feeling well on Wednesday, July 8 at approximately 12:20 PM. After being assessed, he was immediately taken to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) for further medical evaluation and care. While at UIHC he was tested for COVID-19. On Thursday, July 9, MPCF was informed of his first negative COVID-19 test. UIHC administered a second test, and MPCF was informed that this test was also negative. However later that day, MPCF was contacted by UIHC and informed that in fact the inmate was positive for COVID-19, and will remain at the hospital for care and monitoring supervision. He is currently in stable condition.
Working with the Iowa Dept. of Public Health and State Hygienic Lab, MPCF will be conducting additional testing of staff and inmates at the facility to identify those that might be carrying the virus while asymptomatic.
The department has been preparing for, and responding to incidents of COVID-19 in the prison system for several months. An outline of the steps that have been taken can be found at doc.iowa.gov/department-corrections-steps, and more information related to COVID-19 in the DOC can be found at doc.iowa.gov/COVID19. For members of the public with questions about COVID-19 in the prison system, a hotline is available during business hours Monday-Friday by calling (515) 373-5457.