Anonymous
Update by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office
September 20, 2021
The Sheriff’s Office has identified additional COVID-19 positive inmates in the Main Jail as we continue to monitor a recent outbreak. On Saturday, September 18, 2021, Wellpath PCR tested inmates from the West Module that had exposure to another COVID-19 positive inmate, but originally tested negative. Those tests results came in this morning, with 13 additional inmates testing positive for COVID-19.
Today, Wellpath also completed day five antigen testing of those inmates that continue to test negative. Five of those antigen tests came back positive. There are currently 66 COVID-19 positive inmates in the Main Jail. This brings the total number of COVID-19 positive inmates from this outbreak to 83, with 17 having recovered. Since August, 2021, there have been 5 custody staff who have tested positive for COVID-19, with 2 having recovered.
In consultation with Santa Barbara County Public Health, the Sheriff’s Office continues to take proactive measures in the Main Jail to safeguard the health of our inmates and staff. Inmates are tested when they arrive in our custody and are housed separately from the general population during the initial 14 days of their stay. They are tested again before they are moved out of the quarantine area into other areas of the facility. During their stay, inmates are tested whenever they exhibit symptoms and whenever they might have been exposed to someone who has tested positive. The Sheriff’s Office offers the COVID-19 vaccine to inmates in our care, and 35% of the current inmate population is fully vaccinated. Wellpath has administered 493 vaccinations since the beginning of the pandemic.
As we identify COVID-19 positive inmates, they are moved into an area of the facility that has negative pressure cells. In the case of an outbreak, only those with active symptoms are moved. The remainder are placed together in small groups (cohorts) and isolated from other inmates. We also separate those who were exposed but have not tested positive. Inmates with severe symptoms or who have underlying health conditions are transported to a hospital for evaluation and treatment.
The Sheriff’s Office has worked on a continual basis with our Wellpath and Public Health partners to address this outbreak as well as to establish and constantly re-evaluate plans for health safety within the Main Jail. 62% of all custody staff have been vaccinated and all staff, regardless of vaccination status, are being tested daily per the recommendation of Public Health.
New COVID–19 Outbreak at County Main Jail
Source: Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office
September 18, 2021
A new outbreak of COVID – 19 positive inmates is currently being managed at the Santa Barbara County Jail.
An outbreak investigation was started on August 20, 2021, with 11 inmates and one staff member testing positive in the South Module. Currently, the total number of inmates who have tested positive for COVID-19 since August 19, 2021, is 65 with 17 having recovered. There are currently 48 active cases among inmates in the facility that are being closely monitored by medical staff. These individuals are isolated for a minimum of 14 days and monitored by medical staff. All exposed inmates are under quarantine, and will be tested per outbreak protocol
All inmates residing in West Module were antigen tested on September 17, 2021, to establish baseline and isolate infectious cases. Additional PCR testing will occur on September 18, 2021, to ensure all currently positive individuals are identified. One inmate had been hospitalized and 2 additional inmates have had hospital visits for monoclonal antibody treatment.
The total number of custodial staff who have tested positive for COVID-19 since August 19, 2021, is four. The Santa Barbara County Public Health Officer has directed daily antigen testing of all custodial staff for the next three days; on day three a decision will be made if continued daily testing is required.
Santa Barbara County Public Health is assisting the Sheriff’s Office in containing the outbreak by providing antigen testing kits, testing personnel, and oversight of mitigation efforts.
It would be interesting to know how many of the positive cases were fully vaccinated.
Seems they could require vaccines in jail.
Lovesbalot, how our state treated schools and children during the pandemic will only make this worse over the coming decade.
Would like to see it broken down into severity and percent of jail population. How many are asymptomatic, mild systems or required hospitalization.
Its not too much of a stretch if you realize that the avg prison staffer (especially the guards) has around the same IQ as the average prisoner… these are not our best and brightest. So as such, most will need extra prodding. Like a cattle prod or in their case, a taser or a vaccine mandate… Round em up and shoot em up!
Since many of the inmates come from populations that are being hardest hit and least vaccinated, it’s no surprise, Incoming testing and temporary isolation should be manditory as should vaccination with the one-shot vaccine. It will protect them and others when they get out and they’ve signaled that they believe legal or illegal doesn’t apply to them, so the “my freedom to infect others and shut-down hospitals” belief doesn’t apply to them.
Getoffmylawn: You may find it interesting that many incarcerated have low literacy levels due to our school systems still using outdated reading instruction and doing too little too late. According to the National Adult Literacy Survey, 70% of all incarcerated adults cannot read at a 4th grade level, “meaning they lack the reading skills to navigate many everyday tasks or hold down anything but lower (paying) jobs.” Data supports that those without sufficient income earned by work are the most prone to crime. With legal means of succeeding in society narrowed, illiteracy is heavily implicated in the crimes landing many behind bars in the first place. If anyone has made “stupid” decisions it is our education system that continues to offer to little too late. Those of means afford tutors , those that can’t afford it often fall through the cracks. It’s the system that fails many incarcerated when they were in elementary school. Look at the data on the school to prison pipeline.