MENDOCINO Co., 12/24/20 — An additional thirteen inmates at the Mendocino County jail have tested positive for COVID-19 since the outbreak was announced by the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) yesterday. The first case identified in relation to the jail was on December 19 in a corrections deputy that had taken time off work due to illness. In the last week, two additional corrections staff and a total of 17 inmates have tested positive.
The inmates who have tested positive are being quarantined in separate areas and are monitored by jail medical staff, according to a press release issued this evening by MCSO. Mendocino County Public Health has been assisting with testing of all residents of the jail since the outbreak was identified, and according to the statement, further testing will continue through the weekend. No information was provided as to whether any additional corrections staff have tested positive in the news release.
Here’s the statement from MCSO, and our previous coverage of the outbreak:
DATE: “December 24, 2020”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Incident Number:
Crime/Incident: Jail COVID-19 Update
Location: Mendocino County Jail
Date of Incident: December 24, 2020
Time:
Victim(s):
Suspect(s):
Written By: Lt. John Bednar
Synopsis: In a continued effort to identify and contain COVID-19 cases in the Mendocino County Jail, on-site medical staff resumed testing of inmates in quarantined areas of the jail. As of today, 17 inmates have been identified as having positive test results.
The inmates in these specific areas have been placed on quarantine to prevent any spread into unaffected areas of the jail. During the quarantine period, jail medical staff will be monitoring the health of the affected inmates.
Further testing will be completed throughout the weekend until all persons housed within the facility are tested as part of our continued effort to keep the staff and residents of the Mendocino County Jail safe.