LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said it is monitoring an inmate in the Lake County Jail who has tested positive for COVID-19.
This is the third case of COVID-19 to be confirmed in the jail since the start of the pandemic, Lt. Corey Paulich reported.
On Monday, medical staff at the Lake County Jail were notified by Lake County Public Health Officer Dr. Gary Pace that an inmate who came into the facility within the previous three days had tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, Paulich said.
Paulich said this new COVID-19 case is the only one currently being tracked in the inmate or staff population in the Lake County Jail.
The inmate was and remains asymptomatic. After jail medical staff learned of the positive test, Paulich said the inmate was placed in isolation for the 14 days necessary to ensure they are no longer contagious.
The inmate was initially housed in a dorm which normally would hold up to 15 inmates, but to allow for social distancing was only housed with two other inmates in the dorm, Paulich said.
The inmates housed with the inmate who tested positive were also tested for the virus. Paulich said all three inmates have been moved to a separate isolation area where they will be housed for 14 days while jail staff awaits their test results. None of these inmates are showing any signs of illness.
Paulich said Inmates are provided masks and directed to wear them when they are moving through shared living spaces within their housing units.
“We have provided cleaning supplies in all housing units so inmates can disinfect the common areas as frequently as they feel is necessary,” Paulich said.
The inmate who tested positive was assigned a work detail to clean common areas of the jail. Inmates who are assigned work details are required to wear masks and gloves while completing that work, Paulich said.
Paulich said the Lake County Sheriff’s Office is working continuously with Lake County Public Health to ensure its protocols are medically appropriate.
Upon learning of the positive test, Dr. Pace, jail medical staff and jail managers met to develop a plan for isolation, testing and contact tracing, Paulich said.
Paulich said the Lake County Sheriff’s Office has and continues to prioritize the safety of inmates and staff during this pandemic.