Approximately 25 inmates COVID-19 positive in SW Washington prison

VANCOUVER, Washington (AP) – Approximately two dozen people detained in a prison in southwest Washington tested positive for COVID-19.

Clark County Prison chief Phil Sample estimated Monday morning that between 20 and 25 inmates from a facility population of approximately 340 would test positive. That means roughly 7% of the incarcerated population tested positive, The Columbian reported.

Sample said staff isolated the capsules from people who tested positive and that medical staff check them often, if not daily.

The number of cases on Monday was the highest since Sample took over the prison in July, he said.

The prison experienced an outbreak in late fall 2020 that resulted in 44 inmates testing positive for COVID-19 by early December.

People in custody are screened for COVID-19 before booking and, according to the sample, wear masks. He said they followed the Clark County Public Health Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention protocol.

No employee tested positive, Sample said.