HIGHLANDS COUNTY, Fla. — When five inmates began showing COVID-19 symptoms on July 5, Highlands County jail officials say they were immediately put in quarantine and then tested the next day.
On July 10, they were notified the test results were positive.
“The jail is a part of the community, and as the numbers go up in the community, the risk of coronavirus coming into the jail has risen accordingly,” Sheriff Paul Blackman said. “Our detention staff has worked hard to keep the inmates safe and has managed to keep the virus outside the jail for a long time.”
The sheriff's office said no other inmates are complaining of any symptoms and its medical unit is working to treat those infected while monitoring the rest of the jail population.
They will conduct regular temperature checks, screenings and work with the Florida Department of Health to secure additional testing kits as needed.
Since March, the jail has implemented efforts to protect the detention facility, such as screening individuals arrested, additional questioning from dispatchers, limiting jail access, mask-wearing and deep cleaning.
But even with that in place sheriff, Blackman said he knew it was only a matter of time as cases continue to climb across the state.
“Even with all we have done, we knew it was likely just a matter of time before we had to face COVID-19 inside the jail,” Blackman said. “We have made preparations and have plans in place to limit the outbreak as much as possible and will continue to do everything we can to keep the inmates safe.”
On Saturday, Florida reported 10,360 new coronavirus cases according to data provided to the state Department of Health. Since the start of the month, Florida has yet to see a day where the number of newly-confirmed cases was fewer than 6,000.
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