AIRWAY HEIGHTS, Wash. The situation at Airway Heights Corrections Center (AHCC) has become increasingly dire, as an outbreak of the COVID-19 virus swept through the facility, causing 779 positive cases in just eight days. Of the roughly 2,200 inmates housed at Airway Heights, one in three have tested positive for the virus. The outbreak has caused family members to fear for the safety of their loved ones isolated in the cells.Â
Since the initial outbreak on Dec. 1, KHQ has received dozens of calls and messages from inmates, family members, and concerned citizens regarding the living conditions at the facilities. One of those messages came from DeeDee Blevins, the mother of an inmate at AHCC who says her son only has 68 days left on his sentence. However, her son s medical conditions make those last few months very dangerous for him.Â
Everything is upside down : Airway Heights inmate shares unbearable conditions while fighting COVID-19
According to the Washington State Department of Corrections, 775 inmates at the facility have tested positive for the coronavirus. Author: Amanda Roley Updated: 7:22 PM PST December 10, 2020
AIRWAY HEIGHTS, Wash. The number of COVID-19 cases at the Airway Heights Corrections Center continues to climb, with the Washington State Department of Corrections reporting 775 inmates testing positive.
This means an estimated one-third of the inmate population has the virus.
Tobin Sather is one of those prisoners who tested positive on Thanksgiving Day. Not the turkey I was looking for, Sather said.