SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash — Spokane County Detention Services is currently reporting no active coronavirus cases among its inmates, according to Spokane County spokesperson Jared Webley.
Webley said on Friday that, since the beginning of the pandemic, the county has only had one inmate with coronavirus. That inmate was a DUI suspect who was in the county jail for 12 hours, and the inmate didn't lead to any spread among other inmates, Webley said.
Webley also said that two inmates showed potential coronavirus symptoms at the beginning of the week but later tested negative and are now going through normal isolation protocol. There are no inmates currently in isolation for symptoms, he said.
The county's protocol amid the pandemic has been to screen all new inmates for symptoms and to keep incoming inmates separated from inmates who were already at the jail for two weeks in case symptoms arise. There are also two negative air pressure cells available if inmates show symptoms.
Webley told KREM in April that county detention services have sanitizing wipes, bleach and Lysol sprays and hand sanitizer stations. He also said staff were provided with N95 masks and offered cloth face masks, too.
While Spokane County has avoided coronavirus spread among inmates, other places in the state have seen widespread cases. The Coyote Ridge Corrections Center in Connell, ran by the Washington State Department of Corrections, had 113 confirmed cases and 2 deaths from coronavirus as of June 26.
The Airway Heights Corrections Center hasn't seen any cases so far, but was selected by the DOC to host an isolation wing to serve as overflow for inmates with coronavirus on the east side of the state. It is currently housing 21 inmates in that unit.
