GREEN COVE SPRINGS, Fla. — Two members of the Clay County Sheriff's Office and one inmate in the Clay County Jail have been diagnosed with COVID-19, according to the sheriff's office.
The two CCSO members are located at the same building, the sheriff's office said. One is a deputy, and the other is a civilian. The sheriff's office said steps were taken immediately upon learning of the diagnoses to ensure the safety of those who worked in close contact with the two workers.
The Clay County Jail inmate who tested positive for COVID-19 is asymptomatic, the sheriff's office said. The inmate is now in a negative air flow isolation cell, and workers at the detention facility who have been in direct contact with the inmate have been notified so that they can get tested.
"We are working with the health department to increase inmate testing in the jail facility," the sheriff's office said. "A mask mandate had been in effect in our jail prior to this inmate testing positive for the virus. We have been proactive in our intake screening and in-house procedures over the last several months, as a jail environment is highly vulnerable for infectious diseases."
Workers at the jail have been diligently sanitizing the facilities under state protocols, the sheriff's office said. Safety measures including temperature checks, working from home, daily disinfecting and hand sanitizer stations throughout the sheriff's office facilities have been in place for the last several months.
A mask mandate is now in effect for all workers while in common areas of sheriff's office facilities starting this week and until further notice, the sheriff's office said. That includes detention facility workers, anyone entering the jail, civilians working with inmates or jail staff and any inmate outside their cell.