PHOENIX (AP) — The number of jail inmates in metro Phoenix who have tested positive for the coronavirus has surpassed the total among state prisoners.
Officials say 290 of Maricopa County’s 4,400 inmates had tested positive as of Thursday.
That compares to 249 confirmed cases among the nearly 41,000 inmates in Arizona’s prisons.
The sharp growth of cases in the county’s jails has been attributed to more testing and contact tracing within the jails.
Officials are considering whether to test all jail inmates.
Arizona is one of several states that has seen a surge in new COVID-19 cases after stay-at-home orders were lifted last month.
