SLO County Jail employee tests positive for COVID-19
A San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office employee who works in the San Luis Obispo County Jail has tested positive for COVID-19, the Sheriff’s Office announced in a news release Friday.
The employee returned to work Monday after being on vacation, according to the release. They began developing symptoms while on shift and were immediately sent home.
Through contact tracing, it appears the employee contracted the virus from community spread and not from inside the jail, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The route of coronavirus transmission is considered community spread when it is not directly related to a confirmed coronavirus case or travel, according to ReadySLO.org.
All staff who came into contact with the employee have been notified and all areas of the jail where the person worked have been placed in quarantine, according to the release.
“Incarcerated populations are very high risk for contracting COVID-19 because of the close living quarters,” Dr. Christy Mulkerin, Sheriff’s Office chief medical officer, said in the release.
While there have been 11 coronavirus cases among inmates at the California Men’s Colony, there have not been any COVID-19 cases reported at the San Luis Obispo County Jail to date.
According to the release, the Sheriff’s Office screens staff for symptoms at the beginning of their shift and all employees must use masks and gloves when interacting with inmates.
The jail also quarantines all people who are arrested for 14 days and routinely tests all inmates and staff for COVID-19, the release said.
The employee is currently recovering at home, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
This story was originally published July 10, 2020 at 4:47 PM.
