Multnomah County has taken several steps to slow the spread of COVID-19 after an outbreak at Inverness Jail where Corrections Health reports that 107 adults in custody have tested positive for the virus across multiple dorms.
All infected individuals are being monitored closely for signs of severe illness. So far, only a small number of people have developed symptoms, almost all of them mild. All adults in quarantine will continue to be screened daily for signs and symptoms of COVID-19, with additional testing planned. There have been no deaths among those in custody.
The County takes the health of all adults in custody and the corrections staff extremely seriously. Because of the potential disproportionate impact of a highly transmissible virus on people in custody, the County is taking the following precautions:
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The total population has been lowered by 30 percent to allow for more physical distancing and fewer chances for the virus to enter the facility. (The daily census at Inverness Jail is 512. That is down from a daily average of 730 in January 2020.)
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Adults in custody who have tested positive for COVID-19 are being watched closely with 24/7 access to medical care.
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Adults in custody who have been exposed to COVID-19 are being tested every few days so we can quickly identify new infections.
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Anyone in the facility with symptoms is offered testing for COVID-19.
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Because of space and staffing constraints, the County is working quickly to boost the level of protective mask use for nearly everyone in the facility.
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Public Health has begun offering the COVID-19 vaccine to adults at the facility with 108 people being vaccinated today, and will continue as soon as we have doses available.
Since February 2020, Corrections Health has worked with Public Health and the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office to reduce the risk to adults in custody and staff. The County developed stringent protocols in case of COVID-19 arrival in corrections settings. Some basic prevention measures included reducing the jail population and creating special housing options to increase physical distancing, performing additional health screenings, providing masks, cleaning more frequently and pausing in-person visits to reduce risk of transmission.
When Governor Kate Brown released her vaccination priorities for the State, Multnomah County advocated to prioritize people in custody. Like other congregate residential settings, the staffing, spacing and underlying health conditions of residents in corrections settings can greatly increase risk of transmission, severe illness and death from COVID-19. Nationally, incarcerated individuals in state and federal prisons are five times more likely to become infected with the virus, and three times more likely to die.
Multnomah County also has a particular legal obligation to respond to the risk of those in custody. Both the United States Constitution and the Oregon Constitution require the State to provide adequate medical care to those it confines. The government may not be deliberately indifferent to the serious medical needs of individuals confined in its jails and prisons.
When an adult in custody tests positive for COVID-19, Corrections Health responds with rapid testing, isolation, quarantine and detailed contact tracing efforts. The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office responds by quarantining the affected housing units, stepping up deep cleaning and using a higher level of masks.
The County had experienced in its adult corrections facilities affecting two outbreaks during 2020 In January, the County identified a number of cases in multiple dorms. All adults in custody with potential exposure were placed in quarantine. Regular testing every few days has been ongoing, and all the adults in custody with a positive test are isolated as a group and separated from those who have tested negative.
In addition to carefully following individuals health, the County increased the level of PPE required across the facility. Appropriate personal protective equipment is used in all clinical encounters, and prior to each work shift, every Corrections Health employee performs a temperature check and attests to a lack of symptoms and COVID-19 exposure.
Communication is also provided continuously to adults in custody directly from Corrections Health personnel and Sheriff’s Office staff, and by electronic reader boards installed in the dorms and posted public health guidance throughout the facility. Messaging includes information about the virus, recommendations on handwashing, physical distancing, wearing face coverings, and updates on facility and dorm status.