GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — Officials have been worried about the coronavirus getting into prisons and jails and spreading between inmates and staff.
Now, Gaston County Sheriff Alan Cloninger says two jail employees -- a husband and wife -- have tested positive.
Cloninger said he found out Monday that the couple tested positive for COVID-19, but they have not been at the jail since March 30 and did not have direct contact with the inmates.
“I’m doing all I can to protect my employees and the inmates,” Sheriff Alan Cloninger said.
The husband is in a hospital and his wife cannot visit.
“We are all praying for both my employees that are ill,” Cloninger said.
Officials said the man started feeling symptomatic while he was at work and left. Cloninger said he consulted healthcare professionals who said there was no need to quarantine other workers, but they are taking steps to try and protect them and inmates.
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This means all officers and inmates are wearing masks, new inmates are kept alone for 14 days to see if they display symptoms and they sanitize the jail pods daily.
The sheriff said 17 inmates who felt ill have been tested, but none of them were positive. He said some of that is because of the measures implemented to reduce the inmate population.
New inmates are kept in cells alone for two weeks to see if they have symptoms.
In Gaston County, court officials and police are working to reduce the jail population to limit the spread.
Prosecutors and public defenders have expedited cases to release inmates.
Police have made fewer arrests and issued more citations.
The inmate population has dropped by half in the last couple of weeks.
"Through our efforts, we can continue to keep this virus out of the Sheriff's Office," Cloninger said.
Mecklenburg County said there have been no confirmed cases in its jail population, but one detention worker tested positive.
Pre-screening at the main office uptown detected the symptoms in that worker Friday and the officer was advised to leave and get tested.
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