The Supreme Court of the United States made a decision Tuesday that effects a federal prision in the Mahoning valley. And that decision came as updated COVID-19 numbers were released showing a huge jump in the number of virus cases in Columbiana county.

Earlier Tuesday, the Columbiana County Health District revealed 183 new cases of coronavirus since Friday. That brings to total of people testing positive to 660, 310 of which are inmates at Elkton federal prison in Lisbon.

The president of the union that represents workers at Elkton Joseph Mayle, said the spike in numbers is actually a good thing for them because it means they now know who is carrying the virus in the prison and who is not. He says the prison has finally tested the inmate population for COVID 19.

"Now we are able to ascertain which inmates are asymptomatic and are carrying the covid virus so we can separate those inmates out and who are asymptomatic and do not have covid virus at this time," said Mayle.

Not long after the county released the numbers the Supreme Court of the United States declined a Justice Department request to halt a lower court order required new measures to slow the spread of coronavirus at Elkton.

Last month, U.S. District Judge James Gwin ordered the Bureau of Prisons to identify and transfer prisoners vulnerable to coronavirus Elkton.

Ultimately, the court decision means inmates can now be moved out of Elkton.

A spokesperson for the Bureau of Prisons, declined to comment, citing a policy against commenting on pending litigation.