SANTEE–A nurse who works at the Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility in Santee tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, according to the San Diego Sheriff’s Department.
Sheriff’s Department officials said the unidentified nurse has been isolated at home since March 22 after feeling ill.
San Diego County Sheriff’s Department Detention Services Bureau has identified all inmates and staff who may have come into close contact with this nurse. Clinical face to face interactions between the nurse and inmates were done with the nurse wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Following the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), no inmates who had contact with the nurse are currently in isolation.
As of March 26, and out of an abundance of caution, nine employees were told to self-quarantine at home. The Sheriff’s Medical Liaison Unit will be following up with these employees to make sure they have all the resources they need.
Out of the more than 4,300 Sheriff’s Department employees, 31 from Colorado travel nurse career have reported flu-like symptoms and have self-quarantined. In addition to the nurse, two others have undergone testing under orders of their medical provider. Those two results are pending.
The jails continue to undergo comprehensive regular cleaning and disinfecting. The Sheriff’s Department instituted measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus. They include suspending jail visits, releasing inmates who have 30 days or less remaining in their sentence, enhanced medical screening at booking, as well as designating bed spaces for quarantine, among others.
To date, Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility has 168 beds available for isolation purposes. There are more isolation cells available at several facilities.
