D.C. Witness: 8 More D.C. Jail Inmates Test Positive for COVID-19
By • May 4, 2020 0 748
The number of D.C. Jail inmates who have tested positive for the coronavirus increased by eight on May 4. According to the District Department of Corrections, 149 inmates have tested positive for the virus.
A press release states that the eight inmates, all of whom are male, are being held in the Central Detention Facility. Two inmates are in their 20s, four inmates are in their 30s and two are in their 40s.
Since April 20, all of the inmates diagnosed with COVID-19 have been held at the Central Detention Facility.
Of the inmates who have contracted the coronavirus, 55 are being held in isolation, while 94 have recovered from their illnesses and returned to the jail’s general population.
According to the jail’s policy, in order for an inmate to be released to the general population, that inmate must be free from fever for at least 72 hours without using fever-reducing medication and show improvements in other symptoms, such as coughing and shortness of breath. In addition, a period of at least seven days needs to pass since the symptoms first appeared.
Four inmates who were previously diagnosed with the coronavirus are being treated for their illnesses at a local hospital. The number of inmates being treated at the hospital has decreased by one since April 30.
The District’s site on the coronavirus states that 61 Department of Corrections staff members have tested positive for the coronavirus as of May 3. Of those workers, 41 are not at work, while 16 have recovered from their illnesses and returned to their positions.
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LaTrina Antoine is editor-in-chief of D.C. Witness.
