Date: July 22, 2020
Contact: Sheriff Jeff Easter
Telephone: 316-660-3900
2nd Positive Test for COVID-19 in the Detention Facility 7.22.20
The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office was notified today that a 2nd inmate has tested positive for COVID19. This case is not related to the previous case reported on July 20, 2020.
This inmate reported he was sick on July 18, 2020. The inmate was immediately placed in quarantine pending the results of the COVID19 test. The inmate was tested by the contracted medical provider of the Sedgwick County Detention Facility on July 20, 2020, because he was symptomatic. The inmate was informed of the positive results today and was instructed to quarantine at home prior to being released from the Sedgwick County Detention Facility.
We contacted the Kansas Department of Health and Environment for their recommendations in regards to further testing for staff and inmates. Based on their advice, our contracted medical provider will offer testing to 12 staff members and 49 inmates that had possible contact with the inmate. Forty-seven inmates will be quarantined until they are medically cleared. Two inmates who reported symptoms of COVID19 today were placed in isolation.
Three inmates were released from the Sedgwick County Detention Facility prior to the inmate receiving the positive test results. KDHE will be contacting those individuals.
The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office will also be contacting judges, members of the DA’s office, and defense attorneys about the positive test result.
We are continuing to maintain sanitization standards to take care of our staff and inmates which include issuing extra soap, and having disinfectant available as needed. All staff members have been issued masks to wear, and all inmates have been issued face coverings for the last several months. We also have a full medical staff on site. Additionally we have employed a contractor to sterilize the facility.
If more inmates need to be quarantined or isolated, we already have an established plan to minimize further exposure to staff and inmates.
The safety and health of our staff, community and inmates is paramount.