MADISON, Wis. – The spread of COVID-19 we’ve seen in our communities isn’t separate from those behind bars.
Since the end of last week, the Dane County Jail has gone from one inmate actively infected with COVID-19 to 38 as of Thursday afternoon.
“As we’ve been seeing through public health, the increase in COVID breakouts all over the state of Wisconsin and specifically in Dane County, we’re seeing that within our own jail institution,” Sheriff Dave Mahoney said.
In the past few months, active cases have stayed low according to numbers provided by the sheriff’s office, most days staying fewer than four cases and often hitting just one.
On Wednesday afternoon, Mahoney told News 3 Now that 16 inmates had tested positive. He said the inmates brought the virus into the initial housing unit where they quarantine for 14 days before they’re allowed in other parts of the jail with the general population.
“The vast majority of the people who are testing positive are people who are coming in off the street, the new arrests, and that’s the population you just can’t control,” Mahoney said. “It highlights the impact of asymptomatic exposures.”
At around 8 p.m. Wednesday night, he said he got a call that the jail had an additional 22 positive cases coming within another quarantine housing unit also kept separate from the rest of the jail.
With tests still out, Mahoney said there could be more positive test results in the coming days.
“The positives are in a housing unit with other people,” he said. “Even though we’re trying to maintain the social distancing among all of them and enforce the mask-wearing, there’s no guarantee that in itself will stop the spread.”
All inmates who have tested positive are either asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, according to jail officials. Inmates who have tested positive will be isolated and monitored by jail staff. If symptoms worsen, inmates will be transferred to a local hospital for treatment.
Mahoney said they’re also working with the criminal justice system to get people out if possible to “do everything we can to get them out so they can care for themselves at home.”
Of the 38 cases, Mahoney said two are within the general population.
“Out biggest COVID control is with our general population folks, and that we can do a good job of trying to monitor and isolate,” he said.
He asks those outside the jail to do what they can to control the spread as he counts the days until we get a vaccine.
“I’ll be glad when the shots come out and we can start treating our citizens,” he said, “because it’s very concerning.”
The jail is also working to introduce rapid COVID-19 testing, which can provide results in 15 minutes. Mahoney said the challenge with that is the high demand for such testing.
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