Prison in Jasper County has 1st COVID-19 case as infections spike at other SC sites
A staff member at Ridgeland Correctional Institution has tested positive for COVID-19, the state’s prison agency said Tuesday.
It’s the first coronavirus case reported in the Jasper County facility. Now, every S.C. corrections institution has had or is currently dealing with cases of the virus, according to the S.C. Department of Corrections website.
The staff member is self-quarantining. The last day the staffer was at work was June 24. The staffer tested positive on July 6, according to SCDC spokesperson Chrysti Shain.
The information on positive cases from SCDC staff is self-reported.
“Every (staff member) who tests positive is required to self-isolate until they test negative, not only by their doctor but by SCDC’s top medical officer,” said Shain.
No inmates have tested positive for coronavirus at Ridgeland Correctional, the data shows.
An inmate at Lieber Correctional Institute died Monday, marking the eighth S.C. inmate to die from coronavirus since the pandemic began, according to SCDC.
After that inmate tested positive during the first week of July, the state agency suspended receiving new inmates from county jails through the end of the month, said Shain.
There are no positive coronavirus cases in the Beaufort County Detention Center, according to Liz Farrell, the county’s public information officer.
There are no positive cases in the Jasper County Detention Center, according to Arthur Benjamin, director of the jail.
A release from SCDC said 484 inmates are active coronavirus patients across South Carolina’s 21 prisons.
This story was originally published July 22, 2020 at 6:30 AM.
