Spokane County has a new coronavirus outbreak at the downtown jail.
The county says a dozen inmates at the downtown facility have tested positive. The jail division has dedicated two floors to quarantine inmates and keep them away from the rest of the jail population for two weeks. There are no confirmed cases among jail staff. And, the county says, no confirmed cases among inmates at the Geiger Corrections Center on the West Plains. That was the site of a larger outbreak in December, when several dozen people tested positive, though none were hospitalized.
Spokane County’s outbreaks behind bars have been mild compared to past outbreaks at other correctional facilities, including Airway Heights. One reason is that the county released a few hundred inmates early in the pandemic. But that population has increased from the 500 range to 784 as of Wednesday.
County officials say they're working with the health district to contain the outbreak.