Sheriff’s Office Updates Jail-Related COVID-19 Count

A civilian staff member, who was tested as part of the ongoing testing at the Main Jail, has been found to be COVID-19 positive. The staff member consistently wore a mask and worked near an inmate cleaning crew that wore full PPE. The staff member was tested on Tuesday, last worked on Wednesday, and received the positive test result today.

This brings the total number of Sheriff’s Office employees who have tested positive for COVID-19 to 37, with 28 having recovered and returned to work. Staff that continue to recover at home include 4 custody deputies, 3 civilian staff and 2 sheriff’s deputies.

On Saturday, an inmate who was COVID-19 positive at the time of arrest was booking into the Main Jail. The inmates’ COVID-19 condition was confirmed through testing at a local hospital prior to booking. The inmate was immediately housed in a negative pressure room and is being medically monitored.

The Sheriff’s Office was recently informed by a third-party testing lab that three inmates who previously tested positive for COVID-19 were, after retesting, found to be negative. This apparent lab error changes the ongoing totals that were previously reported, bringing the total number of COVID-19 positive inmates that have been house at the Main Jail to nine.

In an effort to provide a more comprehensive view of the status of COVID-19 at the Main Jail, the Sheriff’s Office will be differentiating between COVID-19 cases that originated outside the facility and those that were contracted within the facility. Inmates who test positive for COVID-19 within the 14-day intake quarantine are considered to have been be COVID-19 positive at intake.