VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — After another round of mass testing, the Virginia Beach Sheriff's Office released new COVID-19 test results Friday where they found that 104 inmates tested positive for the virus.
The sheriff's office administered these tests as a follow-up to a series of tests it conducted from Oct. 28 to Oct. 30 to 1,584 inmates, deputies, civilians and contractors.
In that previous round of testing, 70 Virginia Beach Correctional Center inmates and 10 deputies tested positive. Virginia Beach officials said everyone would be tested again at a later date.
Those same staff members, inmates and contractors were tested again on Nov. 9. Test results show that not only did the number of inmates who had COVID-19 rise to 104, it also showed that five of the jail's staff also came down with COVID-19.
The Virginia Department of Health has recommended that everyone be retested again in the near future.
Of the inmates who tested positive, 74 are new positive cases. Thirty of those inmates had previously tested positive.
Those inmates are being closely monitored and are being given medical care.
Four deputies and one civilian who all work in the jail also tested positive. They were all sent home to quarantine and are required to seek medical attention. They won't be cleared to return to work until given an appropriate signoff by a physician.
This is the third time the Virginia Beach Sheriff's Office has mass tested its inmates and staff.
You can find the test results here.