The number of Maricopa County jail inmates who have tested positive for the coronavirus has increased sharply over the last five days.
Officials on Monday evening reported that 203 of the county’s approximately 4,500 inmates have tested positive, compared to 30 cases as of Thursday. The number of cases in Maricopa County’s jails is approaching the total in state prisons, where 237 of Arizona’s 40,000 prisoners have tested positive. The increase in Maricopa County jails came as more inmates were tested and the county conducts contact tracing inside the jails. The increase has led officials to consider mass testing inside the jails.
