First Sedgwick County Jail inmate tests positive for COVID-19

An inmate at the Sedgwick County Jail has tested positive for COVID-19.

The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that it was notified on Monday that an asymptomatic inmate’s results came back positive after being tested for the coronavirus prior to their arrest last week. Sheriff’s spokesman Lt. Tim Myers confirmed that the inmate is the first at the jail to test positive for COVID-19.

The inmate was tested by the health department early last week because they had been in contact with another person who had tested positive. They were arrested and booked into the jail five days ago and immediately informed jail staff about the test.

The inmate has been quarantined in a negative airflow room at the on-site clinic, the sheriff’s office said. The inmate remains asymptomatic, but will stay in isolation while in the jail’s custody until they have a negative 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,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “All inmates have been issued face coverings for the last several months. Additionally all staff have face masks to wear.

“We have full medical staff on site. Should further needs to quarantine more inmates arise we have already established a plan to care for and quarantine individuals to minimize further exposure to inmates and to staff. The safety and health of our staff, community and inmates is paramount.”

This story was originally published July 20, 2020 at 7:09 PM.