First SLO County Jail inmates test positive for coronavirus
Two San Luis Obispo County Jail inmates tested positive for coronavirus, according to a San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s Office news release sent Saturday night.
They are the first reported cases of COVID-19 at the county jail. At the California Men’s Colony, 11 inmates have tested positive.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, an inmate developed a fever and body aches late Thursday and was isolated in the jail’s medical unit immediately. The inmate tested for COVID-19 through the county’s Public Health Lab, which is reserved for testing people in congregate living situations and critical workers.
The next day, the Sheriff’s Office was notified the test was positive.
On Saturday, another inmate tested positive, according to the release.
The second inmate developed a sore throat Saturday and was isolated and tested, according to the release. The test results came back the same day.
The Sheriff’s Office did not clarify whether the two inmates came into contact with one another.
Both inmates are in “good condition” and are isolated, according to the release.
The Sheriff’s Office conducted a contact tracing investigation for both inmates to determine who may have been exposed to the virus. The Public Health Department will evaluate and follow up with contact tracers, according to the release.
The Sheriff’s Office said the housing units where the inmates were placed are under quarantine. Those who have been exposed to the inmates who tested positive are checked for fever and respiratory symptoms daily by medical staff, according to the release.
“These are the Jail’s first cases of COVID-19 in inmates, a stark contrast to most jails and prisons across California, the majority of which have been battling COVID-19 outbreaks in their facilities for months,” the release reads. “These cases in the jail align with the County of San Luis Obispo’s rising COVID-19 rate over the past two weeks.”
As of Friday, at least 1,213 residents have tested positive for COVID-19.
While this weekend marks the first time San Luis Obispo County inmates have tested positive for COVID-19, a sheriff’s office employee who works at the jail tested positive July 10.
The Sheriff’s Office did not say whether the employee previously came into contact with either of the two inmates.
The Sheriff’s Office said to prevent the spread of COVID-19, a nurse screens all people booked into the jail and all jail staff for a fever and coronavirus symptoms before they enter the facility. Anyone with symptoms is isolated in the medical unit and tested for coronavirus immediately to try to slow the spread of COVID-19, according to the release.
All newly booked inmates are quarantined for 14 days and all inmates are provided masks, the release said. The Sheriff’s Office also said they have implemented virtual courts to decrease community exposure.
“This is a high-risk population, in a high-risk setting,” Chief Medical Officer Christy Mulkerin said in the release. “We have worked hard to keep COVID out of the jail by following CDC and County Public Health guidelines because we want to keep staff, Jail patients, and the community safe.”
