46 Inmates Catch Coronavirus In New Outbreak At Seattle Jail

SEATTLE — Another wave of COVID-19 infections is sweeping through King County detention facilities, with nearly four dozen cases recorded among inmates at the Seattle jail since March 9, according to the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention.

A spokesperson for DAJD confirmed earlier social media reports in an e-mail to Patch Wednesday afternoon.

Among the most recent illnesses, 19 were diagnosed Monday at the King County Correctional Facility, officials said. Only one case was detected through testing during booking at the jail, while most were revealed through symptoms, contact tracing or routine testing. According to DAJD, infections were reported from several areas inside the jail, and some originated in housing units at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent.

In addition to the inmates' illnesses, DAJD said seven employees working at the Seattle jail have tested positive this month.

News of the latest outbreak comes amid a renewed push to prioritize all people in custody for vaccines. Advocates point to jails and prisons as congregate settings with limited ability to consistently ensure proper distancing and face mask use. Coronavirus trends are also on an upswing in King County and across Washington, adding to the risk of infection.

According to the state's updated vaccination schedule, eligibility will not expand to all people at correctional facilities until the end of the month. Under that timeline, King County jail officials said Wednesday they were preparing to launch vaccination clinics for inmates by April 6.

Most jail employees already qualify for immunization in the current tiers.

In response to this month's outbreak, DAJD said health services would test all inmates this week, adding to its regular surveillance efforts. The county will also hire a contractor to do an enhanced cleaning of the facility and provide most inmates with higher-quality face coverings.

"We are preparing to give most people in custody procedure masks starting this week, with limited exceptions for safety and security," said Noah Haglund, a DAJD spokesperson. "This was being planned long before the recent rise in cases. Previously, due to supply issues, we had to limit procedure masks to higher-risk groups such as inmate-workers, along with people housed in medical isolation, quarantine or droplet precaution. We had issued everyone else in custody cloth masks."

Haglund said contact tracing efforts are continuing to identify further potential exposures among inmates and staff.

As of March 24, DAJD records showed at least 188 adults and two juveniles had tested positive for the virus at King County correctional facilities since the pandemic began.