About 600 prisoners tested positive for COVID-19 at Cummins Prison in Arkansas, according to CBS TV anchor Dawn Scott. She cited Health Secretary Dr. Nate Smith.
Most of the inmates who tested positive were asymptomatic, according to Smith’s briefing.
"It dwarfs what we're having statewide," Gov. Asa Hutchinson said. He called that a "reason" not to include the number from the prisons in the overall state total, according to an article in the Arkansas Times.
A tweet by Scott shows that coronavirus cases in correctional facilities are being counted differently than positive test results in the rest of the state.
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The Cummins outbreak contributed to the largest spike seen in Arkansas to date on Monday, April 20. Positive coronavirus cases increased by 142, of which 117 were prisoners, according to KY3.
The state’s total now sits at 1,923, but Smith expects more positive cases.
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