Westmoreland County jail reports 2nd covid-19 case, tests 17 more inmates

A second inmate at Westmoreland County Prison has tested positive for coronavirus.

Warden John Walton said Tuesday that routine testing of newly booked quarantined inmates confirmed the positive result on July 17, a week after that person entered the Hempfield facility.

“This person was asymptomatic,” Walton said.

Prison officials confirmed last week that an inmate who was booked into the facility on July 11 was found to have coronavirus following a test that was administered at a local hospital before he was taken to jail.

In both cases, the inmates remained in quarantine and have had no contact with other inmates, Walton said.

All new inmates are held in quarantine for at least seven days in single cells. The jail has 48 cells available to quarantine inmates and this month reduced the time new bookings are held in isolation from 14 to seven days. Covid-19 tests are administered to inmates in quarantine following seven days in isolation. Those who are found negative for the virus are moved to general population, Walton said.

Officials said 17 inmates were tested Monday.

As of Tuesday, there were 465 inmates at the jail. Walton said 92 new inmates have been booked into the jail over the last seven days.

Those increased numbers could strain the jail’s ability to quarantine new inmates.

“We’re struggling here a little bit and we’re trying to keep our heads above water. If we can’t quarantine people it’s not good for anybody,” Walton said.

Precautions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus started in the early days of the pandemic that include suspension of all visitation at the jail. Starting last month lawyers and court personnel were allowed to enter the facility to meet with inmates.

For months, county officials touted that the jail had remained virus free since the pandemic surfaced in March. Since March, 32 inmates at the Allegheny County Jail have tested positive for the coronavirus.

In Westmoreland County, officials said they don’t want the number of positive cases to continue to rise and expect to address the issue when the prison board meets next week.

“Our biggest fear is that now the courts are back up and running in a more normal fashion we are putting more people in prison than we can quarantine,” said Commissioner Doug Chew.