MARION COUNTY, Fla. — More than 900 inmates of a state prison in Marion County have tested positive for the coronavirus, Florida Department of Corrections officials said Friday afternoon.


What You Need To Know

  • Lowell Correctional Institution battling coronavirus outbreak

  • Department of Corrections: More than 900 inmates have tested positive

  • Temperature checks are being conducted daily, officials say

Of the approximately 2,200 inmates at Lowell Correctional Institution, 909, or more than 40 percent, have been exposed to the virus, the agency said in a news release.

The department said "a great majority" of the inmates who have the virus have mild COVID-19 symptoms or are asymptomatic.

Officials said all inmates are getting meals and medical services in their housing units, and those who tested positive are in medical isolation.

All staff and inmates are required to wear face coverings and "rigorous" cleaning procedures are being increased, the department said. Temperature checks are being conducted daily, and "institutional response teams" will address "emerging needs," they said.