After managing to stave off any large-scale outbreaks of COVID-19 this year, officials with the Daviess County Detention Center announced that 44 inmates and four staff members have now tested positive.
According to a Tuesday afternoon Facebook post by DCDC, the inmates that have tested positive are showing mild to moderate symptoms, or are asymptomatic.
“Inmates that have tested positive are being treated and monitored by our medical provider, Southern Health Partners,” the Facebook post reads. “All inmates are being monitored for symptoms, and medical requests are being promptly addressed.”
The outbreak follows a handful of positive cases that jail officials first announced last Thursday via Facebook. According to that post, five inmates at the time had tested positive for COVID-19. All of those inmates had been housed in an outer building that consisted of three separate dorms, officials said.
On Dec. 8, all of those dorms were placed on restrictive movement following reports of inmates experiencing symptoms of the virus. Each inmate was tested and inmate programs in that building were suspended.
The housing areas were then placed on lockdown status, meaning inmates were confined to individual cells within a larger dayroom area.
There were a total of 43 inmates housed in the outer building at that time, according to officials.
As a result of the outbreak, all inmate programs have been suspended as of Tuesday, and movement is limited to virtual court appearances and professional booth visits where the inmate and visitor are separated by a glass barrier.
DCDC officials said inmates continue to have access to cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer and face masks when appropriate.
According to officials, most inmates in quarantine have continuous access to a telephone and kiosks; other inmates will receive one hour outside of their assigned cells each day, where they will have access to a shower, phones and kiosks.
Jailer Art Magliner noted the daily efforts put into place over the last 10 months to prevent a coronavirus outbreak at DCDC until now, such as personal protective equipment, medical screenings, cleaning regiments and quarantine procedures.
“The pandemic creates many challenges in a corrections setting because we work in close proximity and have numerous intakes being processed into the facility every day,” Maglinger said. “Due to the hard work of the jail staff, we have been very fortunate to avoid any outbreak in the last 10 months up until now.”
Over the last few months, DCDC has experienced a surge of new intakes. Despite their best practices, Maglinger said he and his staff suspected they’d have to deal with the virus “up close and personal” at some point.
“The Detention Center is like its own city with its own set of daily tasks, which are essential to operations,” he said. “We are talking about over 700 inmates and staff interacting daily with a limited ability to socially distance.”
Maglinger said trying to determine how the virus first entered the facility could only be based on pure speculation.
“Since March, there have been around 200 tests provided for inmates and staff … Our last series of testing had a high positivity rate,” he said. “Additionally, we have placed several housing units on quarantine status to prevent or reduce any potential spread throughout the facility.”
The outbreak has also presented more challenges for jail deputies. Maglinger said much of his staff had been working long hours to cover shortages from absences and quarantine-related circumstances, calling those who work behind the walls “essential to public safety.”
As of Tuesday evening, no inmates had been admitted to Owensboro Health Regional Hospital due to COVID-related complications.
“Medical personnel will be monitoring and offering testing to inmates if they present symptoms,” the post from DCDC reads. “We appreciate the concern of family members and friends of inmates and staff in this facility. We will continue to care for each and provide information in a timely manner.”
