The Department of Public Safety said seven Halawa Correctional Facility inmates were hospitalized this morning because they appeared to be suffering from an unknown medical condition.

Honolulu Emergency Medical Services responded to a 911 call from Halawa for multiple patients requiring emergency medical care.

EMS treated and transported seven sick male patients to various emergency rooms around Honolulu in stable and serious conditions, spokeswoman Shayne Enright said in an email.

EMS received the call at 11:40 a.m. and responded with five ambulances, a command vehicle and multiple EMS chiefs.

Public Safety officials reported that two inmates have returned to the prison.

Toni Schwartz, Public Safety spokeswoman, said: “Preliminary assessments are that COVID is not suspected. The medical illness is unknown.”

The prison was on a brief lockdown during the incident, but that has been lifted.

As is standard procedure, Honolulu police and Public Safety’s Narcotics Enforcement Division were notified and an internal investigation along with a law enforcement investigation have begun, Public Safety officials said.

This report will be updated as information becomes available.