Three more cases of the novel coronavirus has been confirmed at Moose Lake prison in northeastern Minnesota.

MCF-Moose Lake was named as one of the locations for the first two confirmed COVID-19 infections in Minnesota correctional facilities earlier this week, the other being MCF-Red Wing juvenile detention center.

The Minnesota Department of Corrections told BMTN that two inmates, who had already been isolated due to close contact with the first inmate who contracted the virus, now have it too.

A staff member at Moose Lake has also been confirmed with COVID-19, bringing the total number of people inside Minnesota's prison system with the virus to five, four of them at Moose Lake.

On Wednesday, Minnesota Department of Health director of infectious diseases Kris Ehresmann said that the department has a team focused specifically on jails and corrections and have been working closely facilities even before the cases were confirmed.

"We are working with them closely on the situation at Moose Lake,” she said.

"We have been working on making sure the appropriate individuals are isolated, others are quarantined and so we feel that we have a good plan with them.”