The Wisconsin Department of Corrections in collaboration with the Department of Health Services and State Emergency Operations Center has announced it will test all persons including staff at Felmers O. Chaney Correctional Center (FCCC) and Marshall E. Sherrer Correctional Center
(MSCC) for COVID 19 on Tuesday, May 12, 2020. The Wisconsin National Guard will assist DOC with the testing.
The DOC says as of May 7, 2020, 20 persons across four facilities have tested positive for COVID-19. Of the 20 confirmed positive cases, 14 have fully recovered. Four
(4) of the positive cases were confirmed at MSCC and six (6) of the positive cases were confirmed at FCCC. The DOC says expanding testing at these two centers is the first step in DOC’s expansive testing plan to more broadly test staff and persons in our care throughout the institutions.
DOC says because of the unique nature of FCCC and MSCC as minimum-security facilities with small populations in dormitory-style living, and the recent surge in cases at both FCCC and MSCC, the decision was made to first conduct mandatory testing for staff and persons at those sites. According to a DOC press release all staff with positive test results will be directed to self-quarantine at home for 14 days. All facilities continue to follow their emergency preparedness plans, and persons in our care and staff are provided with the necessary PPE at all times, including medical-grade PPE, such as N-95 masks, when appropriate.
