BENTON COUNTY, ARKANSAS, Ark. — Benton County Sheriff Shawn Holloway says that 164 inmates, and several staff members, at the Benton County Jail have tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
On Monday (June 15), word came from the sheriff's office that 2 people - one inmate, and one employee - at the Benton County Jail had tested positive for COVID-19.
Following that announcement, the sheriff's office worked with the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) to test each inmate inside the jail. The results supported a growing trend of COVID-19 cases in Benton County.
Of those tested in the jail:
- 164 inmates tested positive for COVID-19
- 13 jail staff members tested positive for COVID-19
Sheriff Holloway said all but one of the inmates in the jail that tested positive for the virus were asymptomatic. One inmate that tested positive had underlying health issues and is seeking medical treatment at a local hospital.
300 Benton County Sheriff's Office employees were also tested. The 13 employees who tested positive, all worked inside the jail, except for one civilian employee. None of the deputies working in the community tested positive.
Sheriff Holloway went on to say that not all areas of the jail have been impacted, but only a few specific locations.
"If there could be any good out of this, that is a great thing for us, we're going to be able to isolate and separate those individuals," Holloway says. "There are areas of the jail where we had zero results."
Free medical screenings have been provided to inmates since March.
Jail employees will be required to wear a mask. Holloway said he is working on getting face coverings for all inmates. He said any donations of face coverings from the community would be accepted.
Inmates will have their temperatures checked twice daily.
Holloway told members of the media that sanitation at the Benton County Jail has always been a priority, even before the pandemic started, and it will continue to be in the future.
Northwest Arkansas is currently seeing a spike of positive COVID-19 cases, making it a hot spot within the state. Many prisons across Arkansas have seen COVID-19 outbreaks during the pandemic.