No visitors allowed at Lincoln County jail after COVID-19 outbreak

Visitors will not be allowed to see inmates at the Lincoln County Detention Center after a recent outbreak of COVID-19 at the jail.

The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office received notice of its first confirmed positive case of COVID-19 in the detention center, according to a post on its social media page on June 28.

When further testing was done, it was learned that five inmates and one staff member tested positive for COVID-19 so far.

The county Sheriff's Office said it is working closely with the Lincoln County Health Department and following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for corrections to protect the public, inmates, staff and law enforcement officers.

According to the county Health Department, it is working to identify cases and any inmates, staff or public that may have had close contact with identified cases.

Staff at the detention center are ensuring the safety of inmates by reducing the risk of further exposure by implementing standard infection control measures, implementing physical distancing strategies where feasible and conducting frequent testing.

Inmate visitation will not be allowed until further notice, according to the Sheriff's Office.

The outbreak at the jail comes on the heels of a rise in cases in Lincoln County, as well as the state and nation.

As of the most recent numbers provided from the state Department of Public Health and Human Services on June 24, there have been 27 new COVID-19 cases with 42 active. Lincoln County has a total of 4,929 cases and 89 deaths.

According to the Lincoln County Health Department, there has been one person hospitalized since June 24.

To schedule a COVID-19 vaccine, please visit https://www.mtreadyclinic.org. Click the “Find a Clinic” button, then enter Libby, Troy, or Eureka in the “Search by Name of Location” box.