T-L Photo/ROBERT A. DEFRANK Belmont County Sheriff David Lucas reminds residents to continue to take precautions during the coronavirus pandemic. Belmont County now reports a total of 444 cases and 330 recoveries, with three more deaths of coronavirus-positive inmates of Belmont Correctional Institution.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Belmont County’s coronavirus-related deaths increased from 12 to 15 Thursday, when Deputy Health Director Robert Sproul confirmed three more inmates at Belmont Correctional Institution who had tested positive had died.

Sproul said these individuals had not been officially listed on the state’s dashboard for the county by the end of the day. Sproul could not say whether they would be added to the county’s official number of 12 deaths today or in the future.

The deaths were listed under prison information at coronavirus.ohio.gov Wednesday, prior to Sproul’s office receiving a report. Sprould said the inmates had been transported to Ohio State University’s medical facilities in Columbus.

“Those three individuals actually died at OSU. They didn’t die at the prison here, but they were listed as BCI prisoners,” Sproul said. “They got sick and were probably transported. … The prison system has a facility at Columbus. … When they send them up there, they being a state facility, they don’t always call us.”

Prior to these three deaths, another inmate death had been reported at the prison, but the location had not been confirmed and has not been listed with total coronavirus-related fatalities.

Located west of St. Clairsville, the prison houses close to 2,500 inmates and has been described as a “hot spot” of coronavirus infection by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. The high number of positive cases among staff members at the prison also has resulted in personnel from the Ohio National Guard and troopers from the Ohio State Highway Patrol being called in to assist at the facility.

JoEllen Smith, spokeswoman for the Ohio DRC, said the department will continue to post information daily on coronavirus.ohio.gov and prisons will adhere to screening and sanitation standards.

Sproul has said the COVID-19 related deaths in Belmont County have chiefly involved people who were older or who suffered from underlying health conditions, but he has received fewer details about the inmate fatalities.

According to coronavirus.ohio.gov, there are a total of 77 current positive cases and 88 recoveries at the prison, with 10 inmates awaiting results. A total of 93 staff members have tested positive, with 57 recoveries.

Sproul said the overwhelming majority of new cases have been related to the prison, with his department tracing the contacts of staff member families and visitors.

In total, Belmont County has had 444 positive cases, an increase of 10 from Wednesday’s 434 cases, with 330 of them recovered and four people hospitalized.

Nursing homes are the other main concern for coronavirus cases, with 11 nursing homes in Belmont County. On Tuesday, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced a greater focus would be placed on testing all staff members as possible entry vectors of the disease into nursing homes and the otherwise isolated but vulnerable residents. DeWine said National Guard personnel would be made available to assist with staff testing.

According to coronavirus.ohio.gov, resident or staff cases have been confirmed at ResCare John Avenue Home intermediate care facility in St. Clairsville, ResCare Mount Hope Home in Flushing, Sienna Hills Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation outside Adena, ResCare Wiley Avenue in Barnesville, ResCare Airport Road Homes Individual ICFs in St. Clairsville and Belmont Manor in St. Clairsville.

On Thursday, DeWine also announced a fourth category of people who may be tested for the virus: symptomatic individuals who do not meet the other three categories of being a hospitalized patient or healthcare worker, at high-risk with complications, or with outpatient surgeries.

Sproul said Belmont County’s businesses have been complying with restrictions during reopening.

On Wednesday, Belmont County Sheriff David Lucas commented on the importance of taking precautions to avoid spreading the virus.

“What we ask is for the people of Belmont County to follow the guidelines. We’re not totally over this. Still wear your mask, still clean your hands, and keep the social distance,” he said, adding the priority is education about guidelines rather than enforcement. “Our community is our people and we’re going to be in support of them, but if the health department does call us and they have an issue … we will support our health department.”

He said there have been no major issues with non-compliance.

“Belmont County, the business, the community and the people has been doing a really good job.”

In a related matter, Ohio Hills Health Services in Barnesville will begin antibody testing June 1. Those tests will indicate whether someone already has had the virus and developed antibodies to it.