Scott County Jail Reports First Inmate With COVID-19
An inmate at the Scott County Jail has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the Scott County Sheriff's Office.
On Wednesday, the Scott County Sheriff's office announced that recently, an inmate was booked into the jail. According to the report, prior to being brought to jail, the inmate was tested for COVID-19 based on a statement that the inmate believed they would test positive for the virus. The inmate was tested despite not showing any symptoms of the coronavirus.
Scott County Sheriff Tim Lane said in the announcement,
“We knew that it was only a matter of time. The day was going to come that the staff of the Scott County Jail would have to deal directly with a known positive case of COVID-19.”
The Scott County Sheriff's Office says that the jail is was built with an isolation cell with negative air pressure that vents out of the building. This is to contain a single infectious case. Protocols established at the jail help protect other inmates from those who have the coronavirus.
The Sheriff's Office said that staff involved in the arrest, transport, and pre-isolation procedures of this inmate have been undergoing testing and further evaluation.
The Scott County Sheriff’s Office staff are considered essential workers under CDC guidelines.
KEEP READING: See states hit hardest by COVID-19’s impact on tourism