At least three former prison inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 soon after they were released from the California Institution for Men (CIM) in San Bernardino County, raising concerns that the largest outbreak in a state prison could spread to the communities where people return upon release.
CIM in San Bernardino has consistently housed the largest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 64 inmates testing positive as of Tuesday. Over 1,200 inmates at the prison are in quarantine after being exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19, according to a status report filed in federal court.
The virus has also spread to 23 staff at the prison.
News of the three cases emerged within days of CDCR announcing the first inmate to die from COVID-19 on Sunday.
The 60-year-old man, who also has not been identified, was also incarcerated at CIM.
Roughly 700 state prisoners have been tested, a small fraction of the more than 110,000 people currently incarcerated around the state. Of those, 151 were found to have COVID-19.
Read the full story from KQED's Julie Small here.