A jail worker got COVID-19 after a 'superspreader' wedding. It caused an outbreak infecting 48 inmates.

ALFRED, Maine — A Maine jail staffer believed to have brought COVID-19 into the facility, triggering a major outbreak among coworkers and inmates, was allowed to work five full days while symptomatic, according to a report published Thursday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The report, prepared by a team of public health researchers, includes additional detail about the way epidemiologists believe a major outbreak unfolded across Maine in August and September, from a wedding in Millinocket to a long-term care facility in Madison, to the jail in Alfred and elsewhere. 

The report traces how 177 cases of the virus have been linked back to the wedding and reception, where guests didn't follow mask-wearing protocols. The outbreak led to seven hospitalizations and seven deaths during the time period studied. An eighth death was linked to the outbreak a few days later.

One guest who attended the Aug. 7 wedding returned to work thereafter at the York County Jail. The staffer began experiencing symptoms Aug. 14, including a cough, muscle ache, runny nose, sore throat and a new loss of taste, according to the report. Despite these symptoms, the staffer was allowed to work daily eight-hour shifts in two separate jail housing units for the next five days, Aug. 15-19, according to the report. 

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention opened an outbreak investigation at the jail Aug. 19, when a total of four jail staffers had confirmed COVID-19 diagnoses, according to the report. That number grew to include 18 staffers and 48 inmates by Sept. 1.

Officials from both the Maine CDC and Maine Department of Corrections visited the jail Sept. 4 to assess how well the jail was mitigating the risk of virus transmission, according to the report.

"The facility had not implemented daily symptom screening for staff members or enforced regular use of masks after the first case was identified," the report states.

The jail did implement COVID-19 mitigation measures consistent with CDC guidelines for correctional facilities during the period observed from Aug. 27 through Sept. 10, according to the report.

York County Sheriff Bill King has acknowledged mask-wearing wasn't required at the jail prior to the outbreak. In an interview published Aug. 28, King told the Portland Press Herald mask-wearing was not "a regular occurrence."

A federal lawsuit filed by York County Jail inmates alleges furthermore that jail personnel had prohibited inmates who tested negative for the virus from wearing masks.

As the outbreak progressed, the jail's long-time superintendent, Lt. Col. Mike Vitiello, was kept on the sidelines, though county officials declined to say whether Vitiello had been placed on leave.

The York County Commissioners said they have hired an outside investigator to make sense of the circumstances that led to the jail's outbreak, but county officials have declined to identify the person or firm tasked with carrying out that investigation. 

King and York County Manager Greg Zinser did not immediately respond Thursday evening to a list of questions about the CDC report, the inmates' lawsuit, the identity of the third-party investigator and the status of Vitiello's involvement in jail operations.

By the time Maine CDC closed its outbreak investigation at the jail, it had identified cases in 18 of the jail's 43 staff members and 48 of the jail's 116 incarcerated people, as well as 16 household contacts of staff members, according to the report. 

No hospitalizations or deaths were associated with the jail.

One man who was incarcerated at York County Jail and who contracted COVID-19 died last month, but his death isn't considered a COVID-19 death because he had recovered from the disease and the clinical circumstances of his death were unrelated to COVID-19.

The newly published report was prepared by researchers affiliated with Maine CDC, U.S. CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service and the University of Southern Maine in Portland.

Maine CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah said in a series of tweets Thursday evening that publishing findings like this report is an important part of the scientific process during this pandemic.

"But perhaps the most important reason to spotlight this analysis is because it shows not just how quickly the virus can spread, but also how interconnected we all are," Shah added.

"None of us was an island before #COVID19, and definitely not during it," he said.

Follow Portsmouth reporter Steven Porter on Twitter: @reporterporter.