JANESVILLE — Dozens of people incarcerated in the Rock County Jail tested positive for COVID-19 this week, but other local jails have been mostly spared from the viral disease. 

Two Rock County Jail inmates reported mild COVID-19 symptoms to jail staff on Dec. 8, the sheriff’s office reported. They later tested positive. An additional two inmates subsequently reported symptoms, at which time “all jail movement ceased and contact tracing was conducted.”

As of 3 p.m. Dec. 9, the jail had completed 116 tests, with 29 returned positive, 32 returned negative and 55 tests still pending. The sheriff’s office reported the jail staff is working with the county health department and continuing “extensive cleaning protocols,” including the use of a germ-killing UVC light robot.

Spread of the coronavirus among incarcerated people living in close quarters is a concern across the country. The Wisconsin Department of Corrections reported as of Dec. 10 the COVID-19-related deaths of 19 inmates. Statewide, not including federal prison or county jail inmates, nearly 2,000 inmates are in quarantine and another roughly 1,400 are in isolation.

In Lafayette County, Lt. Theresa Burgess said the jail has had isolated cases but no outbreak.

“We have had a couple of cases, however they were managed just by isolation and being able to separate them,” she said. The source of the infections was outside the jail. The Lafayette County Jail has a few inmates who are allowed out on work release.

In general, she said, “I can’t complain. We’ve been able to manage it very easily.”

The Green County Jail has not had any positive cases of COVID-19.

“Nope, nothing here. We’ve been pretty lucky. It’s been nice,” said Lt. Curtis Quinn, jail administrator.

Huber work release for inmates was suspended at the jail earlier in the pandemic but is now back. Huber inmates are screened for symptoms when they leave and when they return, Quinn said.

As in Rock County, jail staff in Green County are using a Skytron 1140 Sentry UVC robot that emits ultraviolet light to kill germs, including the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Purchase of the nearly $41,000 robot was approved in April, not from taxpayer money but from the jail commissary fund and a forfeiture in a narcotics case.

The robot is a supplemental sanitizing device to regular wiping down, Quinn said.

“We’re using it on a daily basis, several times a day. It’s working out very well,” he said.

As an added bonus, the device appears to be helping with stale or bacterial odors in the aging jail buildings, one of which was built in the early 1980s and the other in the 1950s.

“I haven’t had any tests done or air samples taken, but the staff does recognize or notice a newer, fresher-type smell. It has been combating some odor-type issues,” Quinn said.

Editor's note: Rock County Sheriff's Captain Kimberly Litsheim sent out a press release just before 10 a.m. Dec 11 with an update on testing. Cpt. Litsheim said that additional testing has been made available for the entire populace, and so far 217 tests have been send to the lab with 99 outstanding tests. So far there are 71 positive tests and 49 negative.

Second update: at 5 p.m. Dec. 11, Rock County officials confirmed 86 positive cases and 126 negative, with five tests outstanding.