DAVIS COUNTY, Utah, March 31, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — A Davis County Sheriff’s Office employee has tested positive for COVID-19, officials said Tuesday afternoon.
“It should be noted that an employee who does not have direct contact with inmates experienced exposure in the community,” said a news release from Davis County Sheriff’s Office. “Although the employee did not have symptoms in the workplace, they did experience symptoms outside of the workplace and, unfortunately, tested positive for COVID-19.”
Davis County Sheriff’s Office immediately took steps to safeguard the employee and to mitigate the spread of the virus, the news release said.
“Working with Davis County Human Resources and Davis County Health Department we identified and notified anyone who could have possibly been exposed,” the news release said. “Davis County Health Department helped evaluate the risk to those exposed — no one was at ‘high risk’ for exposure. However, a few employees were at ‘moderate risk’ and, under the health department’s recommendations, could have remained at work with active monitoring.”
Those employees were instructed to stay out of the workplace until 14 days from exposure. A few employees were evaluated at “low risk” and, exercising all caution, officials directed that they be monitored at least three times a day. Monitoring includes symptom evaluation and temperature. “No inmates, volunteers or others were at any risk for exposure and we remain committed to preventing and slowing the spread of COVID-19,” the news release said.
Davis County Sheriff’s Office has implemented multiple preventive measures to prevent COVID-19 within the Davis County Jail.
Preventive measures include:
- Temporary suspension of onsite visits, volunteer activities and programs.
- Reduction of jail population through good behavior (as authorized).
- Collaboration with the County Attorney and public defenders should the need arise to release non-violent offenders.
- A health screening on everyone who enters the jail, and taking staff temperatures prior to shifts.
- Segregated male and female isolation units for all new inmates, effective March 31.
- Inmates will spend no less than 14 days in these units.
- Contact with others will be minimal; however, they will have access to many of the same privileges as other inmates in the jail.
- On the 15th day, if inmates do not have COVID-19 symptoms, they will be moved into the general population.
- Preparation of a separate unit in the event of an active COVID-19 case in the units.
- Regularly reminding all staff to follow CDC prevention guidelines; specifically, social distancing and frequent hand washing.
- Ongoing conversations with Davis County Health Department.
The employee has not been identified.
