JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — An inmate of the Duval County Jail is in isolation after being tested for coronavirus, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.
A woman on the third floor of the jail was showing symptoms associated with COVID-19 strain of the coronavirus on Friday, multiple sources say. She was tested and then placed in isolation ward on the third floor of the jail. It can take three to seven days to obtain a test result.
Sheriff Mike Williams said in a press conference Tuesday that nobody at the jail had tested positive for the virus.
In a written statement, JSO spokesperson Christian Hancock said, "We have no one in the jail at this time that has tested positive for COVID-19. There have been two inmates tested at this time, one male and one female. The male’s results returned as negative for COVID-19. The female has been tested and has been placed in isolation pending the results. We will continue to test as the need arises out of an abundance of caution and safety of the facility."
The news comes after the State Attorney issued a directive aimed at reducing the jail population in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. That directive affects Duval, Nassau and Clay counties, but jails across the state, including St. Johns County, have begun releasing low-risk inmates. Law enforcement officials are also issuing summons rather than arresting people for certain crimes.
Law-enforcement officials around the state and country are scrambling to prevent inmates and employees from becoming transmitters of the deadly virus. Thirty-eight people have tested positive for the coronavirus in New York City Jails, including the vast Rikers Island.
Florida’s prison system has stopped accepting inmate transfers from county jails to prevent the illness from getting a foothold there. Thus far, there a no known inmate cases of COVID-19, although an employee at a Marion County work camp has tested positive.
The local State Attorney's Office directive instructs nonviolent offenders as well as people with health conditions or over the age of 60 to be considered for release. The initiative has been embraced by local law enforcement, including the Fraternal Order of Police, which has concerns about the health of officers and correctional workers.
In response to questions about COVID-19 preps prior to Friday’s inmate testing, Hancock sent this information:
"We have multiple specialized sanitation crews conducting deep cleaning throughout the facility, along with regular sanitation occurring 24/7. We additionally have crews of inmate workers cleaning doorknobs, and other highly traffic areas of touch and movement. Transportation vehicles are cleaned at the beginning and end of each shift, along with multiple times during the operations day. We have partnered with UF Health for expedient service for our inmate population that are symptomatic."
