Proposal to test all inmates at Allegheny County Jail for coronavirus fails

The Allegheny County Jail Oversight Board voted down a proposal Thursday to test all inmates for coronavirus, including those who show no symptoms.

The proposal was modeled after testing conducted in late April in Montgomery County, where officials tested all inmates at the county jail regardless of whether they were showing covid-19 symptoms.

Of the 948 Montgomery County inmates who were tested, about 177 — or 18% — tested positive. That was 30 times more than how many inmates officials expected to test positive.

“I think it’s the only way for us to comprehend the level of covid-19 inside our jail, and the potential for that to spread out into other communities,” said board member Bethany Hallam. She said that initial testing could help them plan next steps.

Dr. LuAnn Brink, chief epidemiologist with the Allegheny County Health Department, said that the county had contemplated universal testing at the jail.

While there is nothing preventing expanded testing, it doesn’t “fit with our circumstances,” she said. As inmates are booked into the jail each day, there’s potential that they are bringing the virus in with them, Brink said.

Universal testing in Montgomery County or at other health care facilities in Allegheny County are at this point “exceptions to the rules,” Brink said.

Hallam;Terri Klein, a community member who sits on the board; and Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner voted in favor of such testing, but it lost 5-3.

Several other members were supportive of the idea of testing more staff and inmates at the jail.

But they wanted more details about how testing would be carried out, how results would be interpreted, whether it would put a strain on resources like test kits, personal protective gear (PPE) and staff as well as whether additional testing would be needed in the future.

“Without more information about how we’re going to proceed and being able to solve the problems — making sure we have enough tests, and making sure that we do follow-ups,” Common Pleas Judge Beth Lazzara said. “I hate to do that, but I do think we need to know a little bit more overall in the entire world about testing.”

Along with Lazarra, Sheriff William Mullen, citizen members Abass Kamara and M. Gayle Moss, and Deputy County Manager Barbara Parees, who attended on behalf of County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, all voted against universal testing.

The jail is following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and testing jail inmates who show symptoms of the coronavirus, including shortness of breath, cough, fever, chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and loss of taste or smell, Williams said.

Those inmates are quarantined until they are assessed and isolated until test results are received, she said.

The jail has over 100 tests still available but could acquire more if needed.

She did not say how much testing has cost the jail or how much it would cost in the future.

“We have not determined the cost for such testing because that’s not part of our decision-making process,” Williams said.

As of Thursday, 59 inmates have been tested and 28 have tested positive for the coronavirus, data posted to the county website show.

Of that total, 21 are currently in the jail, seven have either been released or who have recovered, and one person has been hospitalized.

Among staff, 44 people have been tested and five have tested positive.

Adding money to inmate accounts

The board voted in favor of adding $50 to each inmate’s commissary card.

The money will come from the Inmate Welfare Fund, which was established to benefit the education and welfare of inmates. The fund, which had a balance of about $2.8 million on March 31, is generated by spending at the inmate commissary.

“I think these are very difficult times, and I think we are all — with the privileges that we have — are finding it very difficult,” Klein said. “So I can only imagine how hard it is to be incarcerated, to not have family visits. I think this is a small thing we can do that can perhaps help make their life at the Allegheny County Jail a little less difficult.”

Chief Deputy Warden Laura Williams said it is likely the funds could be deposited on the commissary cards in about a week.

As of Thursday, there were 1,631 inmates at the jail, data posted to the county website show.