×

COVID-19 cases found at Belmont County Jail

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Coronavirus cases have been connected to the Belmont County Jail, county Deputy Health Director Robert Sproul confirmed Monday evening.

“We have some guards in isolation,” he texted, adding that there have been positive cases among those staff and that some inmates are being tested as well. Jail officials could not be reached for comment on Monday.

Overcrowding at the jail has long been an issue, with the 144-capacity facility frequently housing more than 200 inmates at a time before the pandemic began, which caused inmates to often be held in jail facilities outside of Belmont County at a cost. However, the county court judges have been making an effort to reduce the population when possible, and the jail had gone without any COVID-19 cases for many months, even during the height of infection at the nearby Belmont Correctional Institution.

According to the jail roster, there are currently 128 inmates housed within the facility.

Meanwhile, the rise of COVID-19 cases continues in the Belmont County area, along with efforts to contain the spread.

Most recently, Union Local High School’s scheduled deep cleaning Monday also included contact tracing after a staff member tested positive for the virus Sunday.

On Monday morning, Sproul initially put the number of people who had to be quarantined in association with the Union Local case at seven, but by early afternoon that number had dropped to just one person.

“We are still talking with the school,” Sproul wrote in a text message.

Superintendent Ben Porter said early Monday evening the district was to resume in-person as usual today. The district is now operating at full attendance at four days per week, but the intent is to go back to five days of school per week starting Nov. 2.

“We only had one additional staff person who has to quarantine,” Porter said. “You go on a day-by-day basis. Obviously we want to have kids in school, but we want to do so as safe as possible.”

This marks Union Local’s second coronavirus case, with the first at the middle school several weeks ago. Other school districts that have reported positive cases are Shadyside, Martins Ferry, and St. Clairsville. Monroe County the virus has been found among staff or students at Beallsville Elementary/High School and at Monroe Central High School. In West Virginia, cases have occurred at John Marshall and Wheeling Park high schools and some in Ohio County elementaries.

“Positives all seem to be community spread,” Sproul said via text. “Mask usage had been noticeably less, and large gatherings.”

Sproul has reported Belmont County’s numbers at a total of 812 positive cases, with 717 recoveries. There are 64 people with active cases in isolation and six people are hospitalized. A total of 25 people have died after contracting the virus in Belmont County, including nine inmates at the Belmont Correctional Institution.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

COMMENTS

[vivafbcomment]

Starting at $4.73/week.

Subscribe Today