jpatterson@mariettatimes.com
County jail safety was the topic of discussion both in Columbus and in Marietta on Tuesday.
Protocols are under scrutiny at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office following an outbreak of coronavirus at the Washington County Jail at the close of January.
Meanwhile, State Rep. Jay Edwards, R-Nelsonville, also spoke at an afternoon press conference concerning a proposed remodel of funding for county jails.
¯ COVID Outbreak
Chief Deputy Mark Warden confirmed Tuesday that the county jail has experienced recent confirmed cases of the coronavirus making its way through pods of the jail.
“We’ve got a rash if it in the pods,” explained Warden. “The problem is when they are asymptomatic and we don’t have places to isolate.”
COUNTY STATUS
We are currently in the 1A phase, which includes healthcare workers, first responders, and nursing home residents and staff. The nursing home populations are being vaccinated by CVS and Walgreens through a federal pharmacy program. First responders and other health care providers have been vaccinated or are in the process of scheduling their appointments. First responders include career and volunteer fire and rescue crews, law enforcement and corrections officers, and frontline judicial workers.
All health care facilities interested in having their licensed staff and volunteers vaccinated, will need to fill out this form in order to be contacted to begin scheduling their appointments.