NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Inmates across Tennessee will be tested for COVID-19 starting Thursday, as the Tennessee Department of Correction launches another round of targeted testing in all state correctional facilities.
The department said that 2,890 inmates will be tested during the new round. Testing will be targeted and unit-based, according to a release from TDOC. Unit-based testing will be based on the population of inmates who contact tracers identified as having been exposed to a person who tested positive for COVID-19.
That testing will include inmates who may have been outside the facility for a work assignment or for a medical appointment, TDOC said. They also said it will include inmates who live in a unit where a staff member who tested positive worked.
So far, TDOC has tested 26,265 inmates, according to a release from officials. They said that 21,244 of those cases returned negative results and 4,575 were positive. As of Thursday, officials said that 3,365 inmates have recovered and there are 1,197 active inmate cases across Tennessee.
Most active cases are housed at South Central Correctional Facility, according to officials.
The new round of testing will be conducted over the next several days, officials said. More information about test results are available on TDOC's website.