Ellsworth County reported its first case of COVID-19 — a man over the age of 50 who works at the Ellsworth Correctional Facility. No other information was released in order to protect the identity of ECF employee.

As a result of that consultation with KDHE, the following steps are being implemented immediately:

• KDHE conducted contact tracing to determine who among staff and residents have been in close contact with this individual

• The Ellsworth County Health Department conducted contact tracing to identify anyone outside of ECF who may have been in close contact with this individual and will notify those persons

“With this being the first-reported case in Ellsworth County, I want to reassure the community that we will be diligent in our efforts to mitigate the effects this virus has on our staff and population,” Kansas Department of Corrections Secretary Jeff Zmuda said. “We are working very closely with KDHE and will continue to follow their guidance on the best ways to manage a virus like COVID-19 within the prison setting.”