2 Richland County jail employees test positive for coronavirus, county says
Two employees of Richland County’s jail have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to the county.
No detainees of the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center have tested positive for COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus, county spokesperson Beverly Harris said.
Confirmation of the employee cases came after a Richland County Council committee met Tuesday to discuss the jail’s preparations amid the spread of the coronavirus across the county and South Carolina.
The purpose of the ad hoc committee, which focuses on the detention center, was to ensure the health and safety of “every detainee and employee of Alvin. S Glenn,” council member Dalhi Myers said at the meeting.
Following the meeting, which ended shortly after a 30 minute closed-door session, council member Allison Terracio said the committee, which includes Terracio, Myers and council member Yvonne McBride, wanted to gauge the need for personal protective equipment, such as face masks, at the detention center and to find ways to provide the coronavirus-preventing gear.
Richland County has had the most cases of the coronavirus in South Carolina, with 340 confirmed cases.
Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, located in Lower Richland off Bluff Road, has almost 300 authorized employee positions but has struggled in recent years to fill all those positions. Between 750 and 1100 inmates are jailed at the detention center, according to the jail’s website. The jail has holding blocks for men and women as well as juvenile a section.
Anyone arrested in Richland County is usually jailed at Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center until a bond hearing. Bond hearings, in which county judges set bond, are held twice a day at the detention center. If a person is determined to be a flight risk or dangerous, a judge may deny a person bond, requiring the detainee to remain jailed until future court hearings.
The Richland County public defender’s office has pushed to get nonviolent and health-vulnerable detainees released from the jail amid concerns that an outbreak of the coronavirus would be devastating in the confined detention center.
The 5th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, which prosecutes Richland County cases, has worked with the public defenders office to review detainees’ cases for potential release.
Recently, 21 detainees were set for release from the detention Center.
County detention centers are operated by county governments and are not part of the South Carolina Department of Corrections. Some detention centers are run by county sheriff’s offices while others are operated as separate county entities. The Richland County Sheriff’s Department does not run the detention center. Rather, the facility is managed by a director who reports to the county administrator.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhat you should know about the coronavirus
The coronavirus is spreading in the United States. Officials are urging people to take precautions to avoid getting sick, and to avoid spreading the disease if they do contract it.
Click the drop-down icon on this card for more on the virus and what you should do to keep yourself and those around you healthy.
What is coronavirus?
Coronavirus is an infection of the respiratory system similar to the flu. Coronaviruses are a class of viruses that regularly cause illnesses among adults and children, but this outbreak has spawned a new disease called COVID-19, a particularly harsh respiratory condition that can lead to death.
Health officials believe COVID-19 spread from animals to humans somewhere in China. It spreads among humans by physical person-to-person contact, including via coughs. That’s why health officials urge sick individuals to avoid contact with other people.
For more information, visit the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms are similar to the flu and include fever, coughing and shortness of breath.
How can I stop the spread of the coronavirus?
Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, and cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.
If you develop symptoms similar to the coronavirus, you should seek medical attention. Stay home from work or school and avoid contact with others. It can take up to 14 days after coming into contact with the virus to develop symptoms.
COVID-19 is a new condition and there’s much about the disease we still don’t understand. For now, taking precautions is the best way to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
This story was originally published April 8, 2020 at 8:23 AM.