LEON COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) — The Leon County Sheriff's Office has confirmed that there are now a total of 13 Leon County inmates who have tested positive for COVID-19.
LCSO Deputy Shade McMillian told ABC 27 that the newly confirmed cases cases are all connected to the original two cases the agency announced last week.
McMillian said LCSO has done 400 coronavirus tests on inmates to help prevent the virus from spreading.
When an inmate is suspected of having coronavirus, everyone in their pod is moved to a special quarantine pod.
Those inmates are kept in separate cell while testing is done.
During that time, the pod they were moved from is deep cleaned.Once an inmate’s test comes back negative, they are allowed to be put back into the general population.
LCSO has health care workers in place who are checking on and monitoring people who test positive.
If someone needs additional health care support, McMillian says they are taken to the hospital to be treated there.
As a safety precaution, all incoming inmates get tested once they are brought to the jail.
Anyone who tests positive is quarantined for 14 days before going into general population.
At this time, LCSO says they do not have the resources to provide enough masks for the 900 inmates in the jail.
In lieu of masks, they’ve put preventative measures in place.
This includes temperature checks for people entering the jail and making sure employees who have direct contact with inmates have on masks.
LCSO wants people to know that they don't get to make the decision on releasing inmates due to COVID-19.
That is a decision that goes through the State Attorney’s Office.
