While the overall growth rate of coronavirus infections may be slowing, Shelby County Health officials revealed a troubling outbreak at the Shelby County jail, adding nearly 200 new cases to the county’s total in the past week.
After a first round of mass testing 266 people on Friday at the county’s primary jail, 201 Poplar, 155 detainees and 37 employees tested positive for the virus—or almost 75 percent of those who were selected for testing.
Health Department Director Alisa Haushalter says a “significant” number of those testing positive were asymptomatic, underscoring the virus’ ability to spread undetected.
“That was a higher positivity rate than we would have expected amongst that specific population, even though we knew they were in close proximity,” she said at Wednesday’s press briefing.
Infected inmates have now been isolated inside the facility. The source of the outbreak is unclear, but Haushalter says heavy foot traffic increases the jail’s vulnerability to COVID-19.
“We do know that we have essential workers that have come in and out of those facilities,” she said. “Specifically with 201 Poplar, the individuals who are detained there come in and out much more fast and rapidly than they do at [other] corrections.”
Jail staff and detainees are now provided masks, and cleaning of the facility has increased, says Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner. He added that inmates have access to basic hygiene such as soap and water.
Since the beginning of the year, the jail’s population has been reduced by roughly 750 people from a population of about 2,500, according to a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office, which is responsible for maintaining the jail. Law enforcement officials say this was partly due to criminal justice reforms already under way. But when the pandemic hit, the Tennessee Supreme Court mandated a faster decrease in the number of imprisoned across the state to prevent crowding.
Even with these measures, Bonner says implementing social distancing is a challenge in correctional centers.
“You have to remember this facility was built almost 40 years ago,” he said. “This pandemic was not even thought of during that time.”
One jail employee, who previously tested positive for the virus, has died.
A recent modeling report from the American Civil Liberties Union finds that projected death tolls from the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. could significantly increase if jails don’t proceed with downsizing the number of incarcerated.
Bonner says the Sheriff’s Office will continue to work with prosecutors and judges to “safely” reduce its jail population, though infected detainees who remain are being held on felony charges, including murder.
The Health Department says testing will continue at the jail. Inmates can decline to participate.