COVID jail outbreak in Portland followed months of warnings February 09 2021 As 109 inmates test positive, critics blast jail safety, say Sheriff Reese needs to beef up response For months, Multnomah County Sheriff Mike Reese's employees have told him and his managers he wasn't doing enough to fight COVID-19 in the jails he oversees. Weeks after the outbreak at Inverness Jail in Northeast Portland began, Reese announced somewhat improved safeguards. But employee unions and inmate advocates say he still hasn't gone far enough. Since the start of 2021, the outbreak has reached 109 inmates who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Reese spokesman Chris Liedle defended precautions at the jails and adds that the vast majority of the inmates who've tested positive so far have not had major symptoms.