The Hart County Jail is in the midst of a coronavirus outbreak, according to Jailer Israel Bergenson.
Bergenson said after a few inmates became ill last week they were tested, with the results coming back positive for COVID-19. The jailer then had everyone at the facility tested, with 69 inmates and five staff members testing positive for the virus.
The facility, as of early Thursday morning, housed 147 inmates. The jail has, according to its website, 17 full time deputies, seven part time deputies and 11 administrative personnel.
Bergenson said that some of those infected have “slight headaches and stuffed up noses, minor stuff” and that “overall, we’re doing good.” Most of the positive inmates and staff, though, are asymptomatic.
Those who tested negative have been retested with results expected to arrive on Thursday.
The Grayson County Detention Center (GCDC) last publicly released COVID-19 information regarding its inmates and employees on June 29 when the facility announced it had, at that time, conducted 30 COVID tests among inmates, with 23 testing positive. Nineteen deputies had been tested at that time, with two deputies testing positive.
The GCDC houses between 500 and 600 inmates (at three locations) at any given time, and has about 120 staff members.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
