New COVID-19 outbreak declared at Pueblo County Jail

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- A little over a month after the Pueblo County Jail celebrated the end of its long-running COVID-19 outbreak, the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office says there's a new outbreak in the jail.

Sheriff Kirk Taylor attributed the new outbreak to the rise of COVID-19 Delta variant cases in the Pueblo community. A statement released Thursday said 19 inmates and staff have tested positive for the coronavirus.

The last time there was an outbreak in the jail, it lasted over eight months. At the height of the previous outbreak, 86% of Pueblo County Jail inmates tested positive for COVID-19, according to the sheriff's office. It was officially cleared in July.

PCSO said Thursday all of the inmates and staff who tested positive are in isolation, and anyone in close contact with them is now in quarantine.

A statement from PCSO acknowledged that "correctional facilities and jails are at a higher risk of exposure to viruses, such as COVID-19, as it is very difficult to socially distance in such a setting," but Taylor said jail employees are sticking with the pandemic plan.

“We continue to take all precautions that we have been taking throughout this pandemic to protect our staff and the inmates from this virus. We do daily screenings, maintain a strict regimen of cleaning and disinfecting in all of our facilities and are following CDC (Centers for Disease Control) guidelines,” Taylor said in a statement.