WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Mass testing in 16 U.S. prisons and jails identified 12 times more cases of coronavirus than when testing was offered based on symptoms alone, according to the latest MMWR report by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Median prevalence was three times higher in dormitory-based than in cell-based housing, the report says.
COVID-19 outbreaks in U.S. correctional and detention facilities are difficult to contain because of population-dense housing and limited space for medical isolation and quarantine. Testing in these settings has often been limited to symptomatic persons.
With 1,125 additional deaths in the last 24 hours, COVID casualties in the United States increased to 174306, Johns Hopkins University's latest data shows.
With 49,209 new cases, the total number of infected cases in the country rose to 5579142.
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