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Number of coronavirus cases among Bexar County jail inmates nears 100 after massive Wednesday jump

The first coronavirus case among inmates was reported less than three weeks ago.

SAN ANTONIO — Note: The above video is from an April 20 story on conditions at the Bexar County Adult Detention Center amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

Bexar County officials reported a spike in coronavirus diagnoses among the jail inmate population on Wednesday, for a total of 98 confirmed cases. 

That's an increase of 34 cases from Tuesday's reported figures—amounting to a 53% jump. 

The development comes four days after the county said it would begin efforts to test all inmates and deputies for the coronavirus amid an increasing diagnosis count. It also comes less than three weeks after officials first reported a single coronavirus case among inmates. 

At that time, on April 10, the Bexar County Sheriff's Office said it would require inmates to wear masks while also mandating social distancing protocols. The agency has since announced other safety measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 within the jail, including quarantining an annex where nearly half of inmates had tested positive.  

Meanwhile, five more deputies have been confirmed to have the virus, meanwhile, bringing that total to 41 as of Wednesday evening. 

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