As cases across the country begin to increase again, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department is continuing to take proactive steps designed to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 in detention facilities.

This week, Sheriff's Detention Services Bureau started mandatory use of KN95 masks for staff entering detention facilities to help reduce or prevent further spread of the virus.  To limit gatherings, in-person meetings and trainings were suspended while gyms and dining areas were closed. Social visits and non-essential vocational programs for people in custody remain suspended.

The Sheriff's Department is also in full compliance of a California Department of Public Health Order requiring workers in health care and shared housing facilities to either demonstrate proof of full vaccination or be tested at least once per week. We worked with the County Department of Human Resources (DHR) and Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) to implement the directive.

There are testing sites in our jails and employees who work in detention facilities are required to verify if they're vaccinated. If the employee does not provide proof of vaccination, they are required to test on a weekly basis.  At this time, 49% of detentions staff have provided their proof of vaccination and the remaining personnel were added to the list of those requiring a weekly COVID-19 test.

On August 16, the George Bailey Detention Facility (GBDF) and South Bay Detention Facility (SBDF) identified several people in custody with flu-like symptoms.  These individuals were tested for COVID-19 and immediately isolated.  Pursuant to medical protocols, the affected housing was placed in quarantine. The test results came back positive and contact tracing protocols were followed.

259 additional inmates were tested due to potential contact with the original patients who tested positive.  The result of the tests found 98 positive cases and 147 negative cases.  14 of those test results are still pending.  Those who tested positive were checked for symptoms and housed appropriately. Most of the people who were tested are either asymptomatic or have mild symptoms.  No one has been hospitalized.

In each COVID-19 positive case, a thorough contact investigation is conducted to identify individuals who may have been exposed.  Those who test positive are isolated for a minimum of 14 days.  If that person is in our custody, they are monitored by Sheriff's medical staff.  Legally required release dates are not extended based on positive or pending COVID-19 test results.  Those released prior to results being available are followed up with by HHSA.

The Sheriff's Department will continue to apply protective protocols as necessary to minimize the spread of COVID-19 in the jail environment.  Existing practices at our intake facilities allow for the identification and isolation of symptomatic inmates at the time of booking.  Early on in our COVID-19 response, we reduced our overall population through a combination of releases and modified booking criteria.  

We do not underestimate the challenges we face to keep COVID-19 from entering our county jails and have taken immediate action to safeguard the lives of people in our custody and those who work in our facilities.

As previously mentioned, continuing measures in response to COVID-19 include:

• Vaccines are available to all persons in our custody
• Temperature checks for everyone entering jail facilities
• Daily temperature checks of all inmates in custody
• Increased cleaning and disinfecting
• Education and awareness for the inmates
• Identification and isolation of those with symptoms
• Masks for inmates and staff, as well as limiting movement at all jails
• Emphasis on hand washing and good hygiene
• Testing is available for inmates and is conducted at the direction of a medical provider

We continue to offer the COVID-19 vaccination to the population in our jails.  To help increase vaccination compliance with our population, we recently held two vaccine education clinics at our East Mesa and George Bailey facilities in Otay Mesa.  You can watch a video of this education campaign, including an interview with Sheriff's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jon Montgomery, by clicking on the above photo or clicking here. 

The Sheriff's Department remains committed to the safety, security, health and well-being of people in our custody.  Visit www.sdsheriff.gov and click on the "COVID-19 Response" slide on our homepage to learn about all the safeguards we have in place to limit the spread of virus.