KOKOMO — An inmate at the Howard County Jail in Kokomo has tested positive for COVID-19, according to Sheriff Jerry Asher.
He says it's the first positive case at the jail since the pandemic broke out in March. The concern now is whether there will be more.
Like many other Indiana jails, the Howard County facility's inmate count is above capacity with 477 offenders housed there.
After the one positive test, Asher said most of the other inmates were screened for COVID, with results pending from the State Department of Health. The sheriff said he will attempt to isolate any other offenders who test positive, but there is only so much space.
Overall, Asher is pleased with how his staff has handled the situation. "We have shut down the facility the best we can and have quarantined new inmates coming in. The cleaning and sanitizing has continued since March and I think that is the only reason we have keep COVID-19 out for the past eight months," said Asher.
The Howard County Jail is on Markland Avenue, on Kokomo's west side.
