Prisoners, guards getting vaccinated at Airway Heights Corrections Center

AIRWAY HEIGHTS--Inmates and prison guards have begun receiving COVID-19 vaccinations at the Airway Heights Corrections Center. Staff and inmates have also received vaccinations at Coyote Ridge Corrections Center in Connell.

1,410 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among inmates and 162 confirmed cases among staff have occurred at the Airway Heights Corrections Center, according to daily data released by the Department of Corrections. The Department confirmed the first death of an inmate Dec. 18. About 1,500 total inmates are in the prison at any time, meaning most inmates have tested positive for the virus.

353 inmates and 148 staff members have tested positive for the virus at Coyote Ridge.

Vaccinations of healthcare workers began earlier this month, Dec. 15. Two authorized vaccines are currently in use, one by Pfizer and BioTech and the other by Moderna.