RSW Jail reporting 18 cases of COVID-19, other area jails lower

UPDATE (May 28): On Thursday, Page County Sheriff Chad Cubbage confirmed to WHSV that there are two positive cases of COVID-19 in Page County Jail.

Sheriff Cubbage told us the two individuals were recently incarcerated. They were showing symptoms before being arrested, so they do not believe the inmates contracted the virus from inmates in the jail.

Sheriff Cubbage said the two inmates have been isolated the entire time, and they believe there is no risk to the other inmates, although they are working with the Virginia Department of Health.

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As of Wednesday, Rappahannock Shenandoah Warren Regional Jail, known as RSW Regional Jail, has reported 18 cases of COVID-19 at the facility.

According to a post on their website, the jail said a person being taken into custody last week said they may have been exposed to someone with the virus. The inmate said he had been exposed about a week before, but did not display symptoms until he was taken to the jail.

The jail said he was tested with an antibody test twice, and it came back positive both times. A PCR test sent to the state lab also came back positive for COVID-19. That person was quarantined, but on May 23, the jail learned a second inmate tested positive for COVID-19 as well.

At the time, the jail said they had several other suspected cases, all segregated into one housing unit to minimize potential spread. The staff worked with the Virginia Department of Health, who advised them on how to move forward. All of the inmates were given a mask, and the staff had PPE.

By May 27, the jail reported they have 18 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and several tests pending. Around the rest of the Shenandoah Valley, most totals at correctional facilities are lower. At this time, there are no inmates currently testing positive for COVID-19 at the Rockingham Harrisonburg Regional Jail or Middle River Regional Jail.

Superintendent Jeffery Newton said the jail was made aware of an inmate who was briefly in custody at MRRJ on two separate occasions who had tested positive for COVID-19, but no one else and no one currently there has a positive case.

Newton said the inmate was briefly in custody on May 9 and 12, for less than 12 hours each time. The inmate was isolated for an unrelated medical condition, and staff followed all proper procedures. Newton said it has since been 14 days since the inmate was in the facility, and no inmates or staff are reporting any symptoms.

According to the

, there is one staff member at the Augusta Correctional Center with an active case, in addition to one offender and one staff member on-site at the Harrisonburg CCAP. Since the pandemic started,

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