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43 inmates test positive in COVID-19 outbreak at Las Vegas city jail

Nearly half of the inmates in a unit of the Las Vegas jail tested positive for coronavirus, the city announced Friday.

Of the 91 inmates in one unit of the jail, 43 tested positive after an inmate who initially tested negative became patient zero, according to a statement from the city of Las Vegas.

“It was discovered that an inmate who initially tested negative at the city jail, and was released into the general population, later had a positive test for the coronavirus when transferred to the Clark County Detention Center,” the statement read.

Upon quarantining the unit that the inmate was housed in at the city jail, another inmate began showing symptoms so all 91 were retested, the city said.

No inmates have been hospitalized.

The statement said the city is planning to impose a longer quarantine period after this recent outbreak, which brings the total number of inmates who have tested positive in the facility from 12 to 55.

Contact Sabrina Schnur at sschnur@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0278. Follow @sabrina_schnur on Twitter.

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