SEATAC — The Federal Detention Center in SeaTac has been hit with a wave of COVID-19 infections, as 189 people in custody have recently tested positive for the virus, authorities say.
The detention center has more active COVID cases than any other facility managed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, which does not include private prisons and state prisons and jails. Federal correctional institutions in Texarkana, Texas, and Phoenix have 55 and 59 active cases, respectively, among people in custody.
No SeaTac staff members have tested positive during the current wave, according to according to the agency.
Emery Nelson, a Bureau of Prisons spokesperson, said information on when the uptick in infections occurred at the SeaTac detention center and how the number of cases compares with previous waves is not available.
“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bureau of Prisons has worked closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on creating and updating guidance for mitigating the impact of COVID-19 in correctional institutions,” he said in an email.
The SeaTac facility holds 824 people. Visiting has been suspended, according to the bureau.
Since the onset of the pandemic, 197 people in custody and 76 staff members at the SeaTac detention center have contracted and recovered from coronavirus. No deaths have been reported.
Meanwhile, case counts are relatively low at most state-run corrections centers in Washington. Two facilities, the Airway Heights Corrections Center and Washington Corrections Center for Women, have seen over 45 positive cases in the last month.
Nationally, 301 people held in federal prisons and detention centers have died after contracting coronavirus. Seven staff members have also died. Over 49,800 incarcerated people and 13,150 staff members have recovered from infections.
