Washington County Detention Center confirms COVID-19 outbreak, 35 inmates now positive

Nearly three dozen inmates at the Washington County Detention Center have tested positive for COVID-19, forcing schedule changes in the county's court system.

None of the inmates are seriously ill, Sheriff Doug Mullendore said Tuesday.

"We don't even have anyone in the hospital with it," he said.

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The number of people housed at the detention center changes daily. As of Tuesday morning, 347 people were being held there, and 35 of them were positive for COVID-19, Mullendore said.

"We are working with the health department and our medical department to bring that under control," Mullendore said.

The outbreak meant some court proceedings had to be postponed Tuesday because defendants could not leave the jail to appear in courtrooms.

But some other activities, such as family visitations, are proceeding as scheduled, officials said.

Visitors use a computer system to see and talk with people who are being held at the detention center.

"It's a video visitation. … They're not in direct contact," Mullendore said.

Inmates who test positive for COVID are mostly confined to their cells, to prevent the spread of the disease. But they are allowed out individually for activities such as recreation time, the sheriff said.

According to the Washington County Health Department, the current definition for a COVID-19 outbreak in congregate living facilities — including correctional centers — is "two cases of COVID-19 in the residential or staff population within 14 days or one case of COVID-19 in a resident whose onset is seven or more days after admission to the facility."

COVID cases falling; count might be inaccurate

Since the start of the pandemic, Washington County has reported 36,410 COVID-19 cases and 592 deaths.

But the official number of new COVID-19 cases has decreased recently.

Five COVID-19 patients were being treated at Meritus Medical Center near Hagerstown Tuesday. That's down from a high of about 100 patients on some days during the winter.

But Joelle Butler, spokeswoman for the Washington County Health Department, said the actual number of cases is becoming more difficult to trace because many people now use home tests and do not report the results.

To help agencies compile the most accurate data, people can report home test results to the state's covidLINK website, she wrote in an email Tuesday.

"The registration process is fairly simple and only requires a name and a working email address," Butler wrote.

If using the online portal is not an option, a person can also call 240-313-3251 to report the results to one of the health department's contact tracers. The person also can call the health department's main number at 240-313-3200 and select the "contact tracing" option.

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As for the people in the detention center, Mullendore said new inmates are put into quarantine for 10 days to make sure they are not COVID-positive before they are moved to the general population areas.

But inmates must leave the jail for a variety of reasons, such as attending court hearings or receiving medical care.

At times like those, they can be exposed to the coronavirus, which can cause COVID-19. And they can then develop the disease and pass it to others at the detention center when they return.

"Anytime you're in a confined area like a housing unit, it's going to spread," Mullendore said.

The detention center tests people every three to five days to keep tabs on whether the virus is present and spreading, the sheriff said.

"We offer people vaccines," Mullendore added, "but a lot of them (the inmates) refuse."

Mike Lewis covers businesses, the economy and other issues. Follow Mike on Twitter: @MiLewis.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Washington County jail trying to get COVID-19 outbreak under control