DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Volusia County government is setting up a testing site for first responders after the jail reported its first positive COVID-19 cases.
- 2 employees, 1 inmate tested positive
- Volusia jail workers must wear masks
- Director says virus must be contained
Two employees and one inmate at the Volusia County Branch Jail in Daytona Beach tested positive for COVID-19.
The county locked down the jail Tuesday after learning about the cases, prompting enhanced cleaning and disinfecting procedures, the county said in a news release Wednesday.
“It is now more important than ever to wear your mask, wash your hands with soap and water, and practice social distancing as best as you can,” Corrections Director Mark Flowers told employees, according to a county statement. “You must follow these guidelines as we must keep the cases contained and not allow it to spread throughout.”
The jail had 1,274 inmates as of Wednesday.
County officials are working with the Florida Department of Health to track down anyone at the jail who may have come into close contact with the three people who have tested positive, according to a statement from Gary Davidson, a county marketing specialist.
The unidentified inmate showed no symptoms when booked into jail June 18. The person was released 15 hours later.
The inmate wore a mask the entire time while in a receiving area. Then the person was taken to a cell without coming into contact with the general population.
A relative of the inmate notified the jail about the positive COVID-19 test on Tuesday.
Also Tuesday, the county found out about positive results for a correctional officer and a civilian employee. They are on leave while self-quarantining.
The county is setting up a testing site for corrections officials, EMS, and fire-rescue workers with the county and Volusia’s cities, Davidson said.
The jail was placed on lockdown in April to prevent inmates from congregating and to promote social distancing. Face-to-face visitation was replaced with virtual visits.
“Also, all newly-arriving inmates are quarantined for 14 days and inmates’ use of showers and telephones are still permitted, but on a limited basis,” Davidson said.
Before the county learned about the three positive cases Tuesday, “the jail had gone 103 days since the county’s declaration of emergency on March 13 without a positive case and the facility’s lockdown had been eased,” Davidson wrote. “But on Tuesday, the lockdown at the jail was reinstituted.”