Two more COVID-19 cases were confirmed Wednesday among inmates at Hawaii Community Correctional Center, bringing the current cluster of cases at the Hilo jail to six.
The state Department of Public Safety placed two of the facility’s three housing units in quarantine Monday after two recently admitted inmates tested positive. On Tuesday, the department said three more inmates tested positive. On Wednesday, two more inmates received confirmation of being infected.
The department said Wednesday that one of the inmates who had tested positive was released after serving their full sentence. That person is being assisted by the state Department of Health with quarantine housing.
Contract tracing continues and voluntary testing is being coordinated for inmates and staff, the department reiterated Wednesday.
The enactment of the facility’s pandemic protocol, which also suspends all inmate movement from the facility, came less than a month after the facility emerged April 26 from quarantine prompted by two positive tests among staff.