ALFRED, Maine (AP) — Officials with a Maine county said Friday a coronavirus outbreak that sickened more than 80 people at a jail is over.
The outbreak occurred at York County Jail in Alfred and was connected to a larger outbreak centered on a northern Maine wedding and reception. An employee of the jail attended the wedding, the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention has said.
The outbreak linked to the Aug. 7 wedding event sickened a total of 178 people and killed eight. The case total includes the cases from the Alfred jail.
The County Commissioners of York County said in a statement Friday that no inmates at the Alfred jail are currently receiving treatment and all staff have returned to work. An inquiry by an outside examiner continues, the commissioners said.
The county has stepped up efforts to prevent the spread of coronavirus since the outbreak, County Manager Gregory Zinser said.
“Since the initial outbreak, we have intensified our commitment to follow best practices as we continue to work closely with the CDC and Maine’s Department of Corrections to ensure appropriate prevention and mitigation plans are in place,” Zinser said. “This includes the distribution and use of recommended PPE, proper social distancing and regular testing.”
A Maine CDC spokesperson confirmed the jail facility met the criteria to close an outbreak investigation on Oct. 12. The Maine CDC has said its investigation into the wedding is also closed.
In other news related to the outbreak in Maine:
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CHURCH OUTBREAK
An outbreak of the virus centered around a church in Waldo County has continued to grow, and the state is urging more caution at local schools.
An outbreak that focuses on Brooks Pentecostal Church in Brooks has grown from 49 to 57 cases, the Maine CDC said Friday. The outbreak stems from a fellowship event held at the church, the agency has said.
The Maine Department of Education said Friday the state has reclassified Waldo County schools from “green” to “yellow” on its three-colored safety scale. Yellow is an intermediate category that designates moderate risk. All other counties in Maine are green.
The education department said schools should consider additional precautions, such as limiting the number of people in school buildings at the same time and suspending extracurricular activities.
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