The Steuben County Jail is dealing with an outbreak of COVID-19.
There are 25 active cases at the moment, with 21 inmates and four staffers currently infected, according to Sheriff Jim Allard.
“What we’ve done is established one housing unit, which is only for COVID positive inmates. Then we have two other housing units that are for exposed inmates, that are not positive. Then the rest of the jail we have as clean units, where we’ve had two weeks in a row of no positive tests. We have tested everyone in the facility and we have tested all staff members and will continue to do that every week,” Allard told WENY-TV. “We’re isolating those who are infected in their own housing unit to reduce the amount of spread. The officers that work that unit are in full PPE, including gowns and are decontaminated at the end of their shift, and there’s no roving, other than the delivery of meals and medical into that unit whatsoever.”
He says it’s been effective so far, and his office plans to continue to follow the mitigation steps necessary to keep COVID-19 in check.
Other counties in the region – like Ontario and Yates – have paused visitation.
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