What to Know
- As of April 3, 2020, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department has tested 46 inmates for COVID-19; one tested positive and 45 tested negative.
- As of April 3, the sheriff's department said 36 inmates are in isolation for precautions related to COVID-19
- As of April 2, county health officials said there were 966 cases of COVID-19 in San Diego, but that figure is likely 10 times higher
Four San Diego County Sheriff’s Department employees and one inmate have tested positive for COVID-19, the department announced Friday.
On April 2, the department was notified that an inmate tested positive for COVID-19. The inmate was booked into jail by deputies on March 30, for domestic violence charges. The inmate was showing flu-like symptoms, the SDSO said, and was given a mask and placed in an isolation cell. He has been housed in that cell ever since, according to officials.
SDSO employees who may have encountered the inmate were identified and asked to self-quarantine at home. The arresting agency was also notified of the potential exposure to its officers, SDSO said.
Unrelated to the inmate testing positive, the sheriff’s department also announced four of its sheriff’s employees tested positive for COVID-19. All the employees are doing fine, and the sheriff’s medical liaison unit is following up on their progress, SDSO said.
No further information was released out of respect for their privacy, SDSO said.
Officials said Friday the Sheriff's Detention Services Bureau has implemented several measures to address COVID-19 concerns. This includes:
- Quickly isolating potentially ill persons to reduce the likelihood of further spread.
- Temperature checks, which are conducted while the persons are still in patrol vehicles, prior to booking.
- Persons with symptoms will be issued a mask and evaluated by medical staff and will be isolated, if necessary.
The SDSO released figures Friday on where the department currently stands with the coronavirus pandemic.
Officials said the SDSO has 36 inmates in isolation for COVID-19 related precautions. Forty-six inmates have been tested for COVID-19 and of those tests, one inmate tested positive for the disease and 45 were negative. Four sheriff’s employees tested positive for COVID-19.
This data is not a full representation of cases. Totals are based on patients' resident zip code, and are not a representation of where someone contracted COVID-19. Because not every single resident is tested regularly, officials with the County Health and Human Services Agency say the number of people infected with COVID-19 in the county is likely much higher than the reported total.
