COVID-19 cases at the Forsyth County Jail have surged again, with a total of 185 people, including 157 inmates and 28 staffers, testing positive since the outbreak began, according to the latest numbers released Friday by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.Â
On Tuesday, the state health department reported a total of 116 people infected during the jail outbreak, 97 inmates and 19 staffers.
The jail outbreak is the second largest in the state, behind the Mecklenburg County Jail which has had 405 cumulative COVID-19 cases. Thirty cases are active. There are 29 residents in custody with COVID-19, one resident has been hospitalized and an additional 293 residents are housed in either respiratory isolation or respiratory quarantine due to potential exposures, according to a spokeswoman for the Mecklenburg jail. There have been no COVID-19 related deaths there, she said.
After ignoring calls by local groups to drastically reduce the jail population and to stop arrests of certain charges in order to prevent the introduction and spread of COVID-19 within the Detention Centerâs walls, Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough and District Attorney Jim OâNeill are now faced with the predicted outcome: COVID is rapidly spreading through the Detention Center. Almost 40 people incarcerated have contracted the virus, and at least 11 staff. It has already sent at least one incarcerated person to the hospital.
The virus will flourish within the jail, and it will spread out into the rest of our community. The situation is dire; emergency and ICU beds at Wake Forest Baptist are at 100% capacity. This will have devastating, lasting effects.