ELMIRA, NY (WENY) -- A cluster of positive COVID-19 cases connected to the Lighthouse Baptist Church has now been linked to cases at the Chemung County jail.

According to the Chemung County Health Department, which is investigating cases connected to the cluster, an employee of the jail tested positive. The jail employee is also a member of the Lighthouse Baptist Church. A short time later, the health department was notified of a second positive COVID-19 test in a jail employee, who was not associated with the church.

"The test results for the employees and the inmates came back yesterday, but that was a result of two officers who had tested positive within a week, between September 8th and September 15th," said Chemung County Sheriff William Schrom. 

This lead to a testing event for all jail staff an inmates at the Chemung County jail. The health department says that event resulted in five inmates and two additional staff members testing positive for the virus. One additional test result is pending. 

The Chemung County Jail is now working with the health department to isolate inmates, and deep clean and disinfect the facility. While the spread of COVID-19 is a risk, Schrom says the layout of the jail allows them to distance the inmates from each other.

"What the public needs to understand is, these facilities are set up in a very unique way. There are three different floors that house inmates. Within each one of those floors there are set posts. It's not like all the inmates are housed in one particular area. They are broken up throughout the facility which makes it a lot easier for us to control," Schrom said.

In hopes of keeping the spread of the virus down within the jail, Schrom says they have been limiting the amount traffic going in and out of the facility over the last 6 months. 

"We have not had any in person visits in the facility since March. We discontinued all family and friend visits to any inmate, they have completely been eliminated since March. We had none of that in the facility at all, on occasion however, especially if an inmate has an important court appearance or a trial, their attorney may need to get in and interview them. In those circumstances, which have only been a handful, we've set it up so it has been a non-contact interview between the attorney and the inmate," Schrom said.

Earlier this week, the county confirmed the first death associated with the church cluster, a 76-year-old man who was not a parishioner of the church, but was connected to a church member.