34 inmates in Tippecanoe County jail now positive with Covid-19

The tippecanoe county jail is reporting nearly 15 new covid-19 cases today.

This now brings the total to 34 inmates currently positive with the virus.

News 18's micah upshaw is live with an update from the county sheriff.

Micah what's he saying?

I spoke with sheriff bob goldsmith this afternoon.

He says while the bad news is covid-19 made its way into the jail -- the good news is half of those inmates have been in quarantine for two weeks and are expected to be covid free by monday.

B: we don't want to take and say, you know, well this person's incarcerated so we don't care if they get sick, and you know, they're human beings and we treat them as such.

M: the jail is finding fourteen more inmates have tested positive for covid-19 since the beginning of the week.

Sheriff bob goldsmith is seeking solutions.

B: right now it's isolation and we will continue testing when they have symptoms, the type of test we have right now don't work unless they have symptoms. m: in addition to this issue, sheriff gdsmith says there also isn't enough resources to test all 460 inmates.

With cases rising, the jail is also facing the challenge of being able isolate everyone.

B: because of classification, the crimes that they're accused of, you can't stick certain groups of people with others so it isn't a matter of 'hey you have covid now all the sudden we can put the individuals together,' we still have to maintain that, we can't do that.

M: as the covid-19 quarantine period is set to end on monday for 17 inmates.

Sheriff goldsmith is looking forward case numbers decreasing and getting the jail covid free again likes it's been for the past nine months.

B: our number one priority is the safety and security of our jail and that's inmates and staff.

We did a good job as a team getting out in front of this early on, people work from home in shifts when they can and i think that helped keep the distancing.

Sheriff goldsmith is happy to report none of the inmates have needed hospitalization.

He says all of the inmates are showing either mild to no symptoms at all.

Reporting live in tippecanoe county, micah upshaw, news 18.

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