Sanpete County Jail responds to first COVID-19 outbreak of the pandemic

MANTI, Utah — The Sanpete County Jail is dealing with its first COVID-19 outbreak since the pandemic began.

Of the 110 inmates, nearly a fourth have tested positive for the virus.

Sanpete County Attorney Kevin Daniels said Monday that jail staff is following safety protocols and actively working to prevent the virus from spreading to other inmates and staff.

“They have isolated where appropriate, they tended to the medical needs of those that were positive and impacted,” Daniels said. “They’ve also been very careful to ensure that nobody else is infected.”

Nearly a fourth of the inmates at Sanpete County Jail have COVID right now. At 10:00, how jail staff is handling their first outbreak of the pandemic @KSL5TV pic.twitter.com/afISOnf1ZR

— Ashley Moser (@AshleyMoser) August 31, 2021

Right now, the infected inmates are receiving pain relief medication as needed.

Daniels said a couple inmates are even recovering at home.

“Two of those individuals were released because they were not a threat to the community or a danger to run,” he said.

On Tuesday, Rachel Larsen said her husband called her to say he had contracted COVID-19, presumably from a fellow inmate. 

“I kind of thought he would be safe where he was, but I guess COVID hits everyone eventually,” she said. “He told me they came and tested everyone in his section and made that the quarantine section. So they moved other inmates into that area, but he did tell me there’s so many sick people right now that it’s probably just gonna be in the whole jail soon.”

Larsen said her husband, who is vaccinated against COVID-19, has mild symptoms and hopes the care that he is receiving will keep it that way.

“There’s really nothing you can do but just hope that they are okay,” she said.