SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- More than half of the residents of a work-release facility in Seattle, U.S. state of Washington, have tested positive for the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, The Seattle Times reported on Monday.

The outbreak at Bishop Lewis Work Release on Seattle's First Hill surged from two cases identified on Oct. 16. As of Oct. 30, 28 of Bishop Lewis' 49 residents had contracted the coronavirus, which included nine cases discovered last week and 17 found the previous week, according to the Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC).

Testing of other residents didn't start until Oct. 20, four days after the first infections were discovered, the report said.

According to the report, the state DOC spokesperson Susan Biller said that's because the first positive tests came back on a Friday, and the staff was off for the weekend, then off again Monday, Oct. 19, due to state-mandated furloughs.

As of Oct. 30, there were 526 confirmed COVID-19 cases, including two deaths, in Washington's correction centers or living in work-release facilities, the state DOC said.