First Arkansas prisoner tests positive for Coronavirus

The first state prisoner in Arkansas has been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus, a prison spokeswoman said Sunday.

A man being held at the Cummins Unit in Grady, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) south east of Little Rock, was transferred to a hospital Saturday and tested positive for COVID-19, Arkansas Department of Corrections spokeswoman Dina Tyler said in a statement. She declined to provide further information on the man.

Other prisoners and staff who were exposed to the man have been tested for the virus, and access to his housing unit has been restricted. Tyler said that as of Friday 13 corrections employees were quarantined after testing positive.

As of Saturday, 1,228 people in Arkansas have tested positive for COVID-19 and 25 with the disease have died, according to figures from the Arkansas Department of Health. Almost 350 people have recovered.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.