JANESVILLE, Wis. — More than 70 inmates at the Rock County Jail have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Friday morning and the test results for dozens of other inmates are pending.
As the number of positive coronavirus cases in the jail grew this week, officials with the Rock County Sheriff’s Office were provided with enough tests for the entire jail population.
In the last few days, 217 inmates were tested. Of those, 71 total inmates tested positive, 47 of them received negative results and 99 tests are still being processed.
Two Rock County inmates reported mild COVID-19 symptoms to jail staff Tuesday. Both of these inmates tested positive and other inmates began reporting symptoms.
Inmates at the jail Wednesday morning said testing didn’t start until several days after multiple people in a single work unit came down with symptoms including migraines, body aches and diarrhea. You can read more about our conversations with inmates and their family members here.
On Wednesday, Commander Erik Chellevold with the Rock County Sheriff’s Office told News 3 Now that only three COVID-19 tests had been conducted on inmates at the jail over the last year prior to Tuesday, but that does not include the number of inmates sent out for testing prior to being admitted to the jail. Regular temperature checks are conducted on the general population at the jail.
Inmates are kept in a two-week quarantine prior to release into the general population, but are not tested as part of that process.
Multiple units at the jail were on quarantine due to positive test results as of Wednesday.
The Rock County Sheriff’s Office officials plan to provide another update once the pending results are returned. News 3 Now will update this article once new information is shared.
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