Daytona Beach, FL - Over 1,600 inmates across the state's prison system test positive for COVID-19 while 19 have reportedly passed away.
That's according to a report released at noon on Sunday (June 14th) by the Florida Department of Corrections, which shows 1,645 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19.
Those numbers also include institutions that are run by private entities, such as the Boca Raton-based GEO Group, which runs five facilities around the state of Florida.
Currently, the highest number of positive COVID-19 tests comes from Homestead Correctional Institution. There, 302 inmates have tested positive while 499 tested negative for the virus.
Tomoka Correctional Institution, which is located in Daytona Beach, reported a total of 138 inmates who tested positive for COVID-19, alongside 23 staff members who also tested positive. Two inmates are also reported to be in "security quarantine," which means they have been separated because they were recently transferred to Tomoka CI.
On the topic of staff members, a total of 326 have tested positive in the state. South Bay Correctional Facility, a GEO Group managed prison out of Palm Beach County, reported the highest numbers in the state after 59 staff members tested positive for COVID-19.
The state Department of Corrections is also reporting that 19 inmates have passed away from COVID-19. However, to clarify, that is 19 inmates who have passed away following a positive COVID-19 test. FDC states that they are not releasing information that would lead to the identification of individuals due to privacy concerns
