WASHINGTON COUNTY, Utah, June 24, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — Fifteen inmates at the Purgatory Correctional Facility have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
A WCSO statement says that on Saturday, June 20, four inmates began exhibiting symptoms consistent with COVID-19. All were moved into medical isolation and tested. Three tests came back positive.
“On Monday, June 22nd, PCF staff tested 24 additional inmates, all of whom had been housed with the inmates who had tested positive,” the statement says. “This included three inmates who had since been transferred to different housing units.
“Twelve of those 24 inmates tested positive for COVID-19, including two who had been transferred to different housing units.”
All 15 inmates who tested positive have been medically quarantined within the facility. On Wednesday, PCF staff members began testing approximately 100 more inmates who may have been exposed to one or more of the inmates who tested positive.
All the potentially infected inmates have been quarantined, the statement says.
“As it currently stands, PCF has four housing units which are being utilized to quarantine the exposed and potentially exposed inmates, two which are being used to house the inmates who may have been exposed, one which is being used to house the inmates who have tested positive, and one to house the 12 inmates who initially tested negative.
“As a precautionary measure, these inmates will remain quarantined until they can be retested in two weeks. Additionally, PCF staff has relocated any “high-risk” inmates who were potentially exposed to medical observation cells pending the results of their initial tests.”
Gephardt Daily will have additional information about the outbreak in the Purgatory Correctional Facility as it becomes available.
