Middle River Regional Jail has temporarily canceled all inmate programs, including family visitation, in response to a run of positive COVID-19 tests reported among staff.
A total of 10 staff – nine officers and one nurse – have tested positive since the weekend, according to a press release from the jail.
Those staffers, and an unspecified number of additional staff, are self-isolating at home.
MRRJ Superintendent Jeffrey Newton has directed limits on inmate movement, the opening of the recreation yard as an additional housing unit, coordination with the Harrisonburg/Rockingham Sheriff’s Office to stop inmate transfers for 14 days, and coordination with local courts to delay scheduled hearings with self-reporting inmates for 30 days.
Staff is also coordinating with the Central Shenandoah Health District to coordinate targeted testing of inmates and staff to develop a clearer picture of the presence of COVID-19 in the jail going forward.
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Chris Graham
