UPDATE -Two MDOC Employees Test Positive For COVID-19

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

No. 035 – March 17, 2020

Contact: Chris Gautz, 517-241-0363

LANSING, MICH. On Tuesday, March 17, the Michigan Department of Corrections was notified that two of its employees have tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

One is an employee at the Jackson County Probation Office, who had a recent history of international travel. The second is an employee at the Detroit Detention Center, who does not have a history of domestic or international travel.

These are the first two MDOC employees who have tested positive for COVID-19.

The MDOC has been in contact with the individuals and the department is proactively working to determine any other employees and offenders these individuals have been in contact with.

“Our primary focus is the health and safety of our staff, the offenders and the public,” said MDOC Director Heidi Washington. “This is a matter we take seriously and are taking the advice of public health professionals and have notified employees who need to be quarantined.”

The Detroit Detention Center operates under an interagency agreement between the Detroit Police Department and the Michigan Department of Corrections and holds all pre-arraigned detainees 17 years of age or older in the City of Detroit for up to 72 hours. The detainees are arrested by the Detroit Police

Department and are not prisoners of the MDOC. Offenders at that facility are not transferred to MDOC facilities.
The department will provide further information as it becomes available.

Information around this outbreak is changing rapidly. The latest information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.

Information about steps the MDOC is taking in response to the virus is also available here.

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