Coronavirus: 8th Miami County corrections officer tests positive for COVID-19

MIAMI COUNTY — UPDATE @ 3:30 p.m. (June 9):

An eighth Miami County corrections officer has tested positive for COVID-19 with all cases connected to a birthday party that seven officers attended days ago, according to the sheriff’s office.

The eighth positive test came after the Miami County Sheriff’s Office conducted testing at both jails in the county, including inmates willing to be tested, along with corrections staff.

The corrections officer worked the same shift as the other seven officers who previously tested positive, Sheriff Dave Duchak said in a media release Tuesday.

No positive tests were returned by inmates that agreed to be tested.

All eight corrections officers are recovering at home with minor or no symptoms at all, Duchak said.

Monday, the sheriff’s office first announced that seven corrections officers tested positive. Through an investigation, it was determined that all seven attended the same birthday party several days before.

Additional details were not released.

FIRST REPORT (June 8):

Seven corrections officers in Miami County have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the sheriff’s office.

Two corrections officers who work the same shift began not feeling well within 24 hours of each other about two weeks ago.

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Both were placed on sick leave and tested positive for the virus.

After the department looked into where the two officers had been within the last two weeks, they learned that the two officers as well as five others attended the same birthday party several days before.

The five additional officers were also immediately placed on sick leave and they too tested positive for the virus.

The sheriff’s office said while the jail population was eventually going to be tested by Public Health as best practice, the date of testing was moved up to today.

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“To date, all of the infected officers are doing well and recovering at home,” said Sheriff Dave Duchak of Miami County.

“It should be noted that some of the officers who tested positive remain asymptomatic. All precautions and protocols continue to be followed in both jails.”

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