23 more SLO County jail inmates, 10 deputies test positive for COVID-19 as outbreak grows
Another 21 San Luis Obispo County Jail inmates have tested positive for COVID-19, the latest cases in an outbreak that began Dec. 10, according to the San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s Office.
An additional two inmates being transported into the jail also tested positive for coronavirus during admission, the agency said.
The new cases bring to 62 the number of inmates who have tested positive in connection to the outbreak, the Sheriff’s Office said.
A total of 79 jail inmates have contracted the virus since March 2020.
Each of the new COVID-19 cases involves inmates living in a dormitory setting where previous coronavirus cases have been identified, the Sheriff’s Office said, adding that no new housing units are involved.
None of the active cases have required hospitalization, and all are being cared for at the facility’s medical unit, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The Sheriff’s Office also said that half of the people in the jail who have recovered from COVID-19 never exhibited symptoms.
Also on Thursday, the agency reported that six additional correctional deputies and four more patrol deputies also tested positive for coronavirus.
With these new cases, a total of 32 Sheriff’s Office deputies — 12 patrol deputies and 20 correctional deputies — have tested positive for the virus.
The new cases were discovered as jail officials continue to regularly test inmates for the novel coronavirus due to the outbreak, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Testing will continue until the outbreak is over, the agency said.
On Dec. 28, the Sheriff’s Office announced a wave of 15 inmates who tested positive as part of the outbreak earlier that month.
This story was originally published January 7, 2021 at 5:41 PM.
