COVID-19 hits jail in Nye County

Two detention center staff members have tested positive for COVID-19.

A Nye County Sheriff’s Office patrol deputy was also announced to be positive on April 20, though the sheriff’s office announced that the results were inconclusive on Tuesday, April 21.

In a video statement, Nye County Sheriff’s Office Capt. David Boruchowitz said the sheriff’s office received positive confirmation on Monday, April 20 of a positive COVID-19 case of the NCSO patrol deputy.

However, as stated in a video news release, on Tuesday, April 21, the sheriff’s office was informed that the test was flagged as positive by the lab in error, and the result was actually inconclusive.

That employee is scheduled to be retested.

The patrol deputy has been on home quarantine as a result of symptoms and was not at work the week of April 20, Boruchowitz said.

According to the latest information regarding the COVID-19 outbreak in Nye County, of the 690 tests administered, there have 23 reported positives in Pahrump, with one individual identified as recovered.

Up north in Tonopah, officials have reported four positive cases, while Amargosa Valley and Beatty each have one reported positive case.

Beatty also reported that one individual has recovered.

Those numbers released on Thursday morning, April 23, come from the nyecounty.net website. The county’s website says there were no known deaths as of Thursday to COVID-19.

Jail staff and inmate concerns

The release went on to state that both detention center staff and inmates are all wearing personal protective masks to minimize exposure, while noting that the county’s detention centers are currently running on a modified lockdown in an effort to avoid inmate exposure.

“Each cell is locked down and inmates are allowed time out of their cells only with their cell mates,” according to the release. “The dayroom is disinfected in between each cell release. A procedure for the testing of inmates is still being developed.”

The Pahrump Valley Times reached out to the sheriff’s office on Friday, April 17 and asked when testing would begin and if they knew how long it could take.

In an email response on Friday, Boruchowitz said, “Some staff being tested as speak. As to how long beyond. No. Hoping beginning of the week, but don’t know for sure.”

In Clark County, the latest numbers from the Southern Nevada Health District this week show a total of 3,314 cases, with 163 reported deaths. As of April 21, the Southern Nevada Health Distict had marked 1,963 people recovered in Clark County, or 61%.

Statewide, as of Wednesday of this week, the number of positive cases stood at 4,208, resulting in 190 deaths.

Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes