A spate of COVID-19 cases at Oxford County and Androscoggin County jails has forced 18 inmates into quarantine and required a few staff to quarantine at their homes.
According to Androscoggin County Jail administrator Jeff Chute, three officers and eight inmates at the Auburn lockup have tested positive since Aug. 16. The inmates and officers are all males.
The inmates have been placed in an isolated block for a 10-day quarantine. Their conditions will be monitored and they have received medical screenings, Chute said.
At the Oxford County Jail in Paris, one or two inmates have tested positive about every three days since Aug. 13, Capt. Dana Dillingham, jail administrator, said. The jail has a total of 10 cases among inmates in addition to “several” staff members who have tested positive. Inmates are required to wear masks and be socially distant.
Officers at both jails will quarantine at home for five days and will be required to wear masks for their first five days back. Officers in Oxford County must show improving signs of symptoms without the use of medication in accordance with CDC guidelines, Dillingham said.
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