A COVID-19 outbreak at the Scotts Bluff County Detention Center now has 43 confirmed cases – 33 inmates and 10 staff.
There are no hospitalizations among inmates and many are asymptomatic – not experiencing any symptoms.
Scotts Bluff County Health Dept Director Paulette Schnell says the detention center has been working closely with her agency and is following all the guidance provided by state and local experts.
Sheriff Mark Overman says there will likely be more positive cases among both staff and inmates, so the facility is working with infectious disease specialists from the University of Nebraska Medical Center to actively manage its response.
Overman says the center has implemented frequent testing and retesting of the 200-plus inmates and 70-plus staff while also instituting quarantine protocols with the goal of slowing the spread and keeping symptoms mild.