First Grant County inmate tests positive for COVID-19

GRANT COUNTY — An inmate at the Grant County Jail tested positive for the coronavirus, the first infection of an inmate in the jail, said Grant County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman in an interview.

The unnamed inmate tested positive for COVID-19 early last week and was sequestered in the jail’s isolation area, Foreman said. The inmate will remain in isolation for 14 days after the positive test results were received.

Six fellow inmates who were close contacts of the infected person have also been tested for COVID-19 and will be tested every three days for the next 14 days while they’re quarantined, according to a statement. Initial test results for the six close contacts reportedly came back negative.

“The Grant County Health District is providing guidance to us and we are following their recommendations in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19 within the jail,” the Grant County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a statement. “All previous prevention measures will continue such as jail access restrictions, frequent disinfecting, physical distancing and use of face coverings.”

Emry Dinman can be reached via email at edinman@columbiabasinherald.com.