Vermont's Northern State Correctional Facility has been declared free of COVID-19.
The Department of Corrections says five consecutive rounds of testing at the Newport prison found no cases of the virus among inmates. Three cases were detected among prison staff, including one during the most recent round of testing on April 15, but contact tracing found that the case posed no threat to the incarcerated population.
An outbreak began Feb. 23 when testing found the virus in one staff member and 21 inmates. A total of 179 incarcerated individuals tested positive during the outbreak.
Corrections Commissioner Jim Baker says the department is thankful no one got seriously ill.
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