Hennepin County workhouse in lockdown after flu-like illness spreads through facility

The Hennepin County workhouse in Plymouth went into a precautionary lockdown Wednesday afternoon after more than 50 residents and staff became sick from a flu-like virus.

Management issued the lockdown after several male and female residents and staff reported chills, diarrhea and cramps, but no fever, said Assistant County Administrator Mark Thompson. Despite the high total, no new cases were reported Thursday. Nobody has been hospitalized, he said.

"It appears to be a 24-hour bug and the situation has stabilized," he said. "But staff at the workhouse can't recall when they have experienced such a large illness."

The county is working with the state Department of Health to determine the length of the lockdown, but it's expected to end by Saturday, Thompson said.

The lockdown hasn't created any security risks at the workhouse, which handles people who received sentences of a year or less.

The workhouse, also referred to as the county's Adult Corrections Facility, currently has 389 residents. They are locked in the facility, but there isn't a security fence surrounding it. The outside recreation and industry yard are fenced.

Preliminary tests done by Hennepin County Medical Center ruled out bacterial and viral strains, and Thompson said the illnesses weren't triggered by food.

"It's like a lot of schools who have issues in February or March when bugs start getting transmitted," he said.

Because the source of the illness is unknown, resident movement in and out of the facility will be greatly restricted, according to an e-mail written by workhouse superintendent Sean Chapman. Only critical functions serving "life safety" and institutional security will continue as normal.

The programs and services unit was closed, resident visiting was suspended and nonessential furloughs were canceled, the e-mail said.

Residents who work with food and laundry were pared down and only those screened and cleared to be illness-free will be allowed to do work with those services.

The entire facility is being disinfected, but it's cleaned on a daily basis, Thompson said.

"We need to make sure residents are safe from getting infected by the bug," he said. "And we need residents to be able to exercise and take care of themselves."

David Chanen • 612-673-4465