Sumter County jail guard and sheriff’s deputy both test positive for COVID-19
Two Sumter County Sheriff’s Office employees have tested positive for COVID-19.
A guard at the Sumter-Lee Regional Detention Center and deputy are both confirmed coronavirus patients, the sheriff’s office said Wednesday in a news release.
Both are currently being quarantined at home, according to the release.
The deputy tested positive Wednesday, and the guard’s test was confirmed Tuesday night, the sheriff’s office said.
The jail officer, who is asymptomatic, is a supervisor and has little direct contact with inmates, the sheriff’s office said. As of Wednesday afternoon, there were no reported or suspected cases of COVID-19 among the inmate population at the jail, according to the release.
Although no one behind bars has shown symptoms of the coronavirus, the sheriff’s office said medical protocols are in place to test, monitor, isolate, treat, and hospitalize the inmates if necessary.
“I will remain hypervigilant to do whatever I can to protect my employees and all persons in my custody,” Sheriff Anthony Dennis said in the release. “I also strongly encourage all members of our community to continue following all recommendations regarding avoidance of large crowds, social distancing, hygiene and other precautions we can all take to help reduce the spread of this virus. We must all remember that this pandemic has not disappeared.”
Dennis said he has been in touch with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control since the guard was confirmed to have COVID-19. Since testing for the coronavirus began in March, the sheriff’s office said it has followed DHEC and CDC recommendations to stop the spread.
Now the sheriff’s office plans to take enhanced measures to keep detention center employees and inmates safe, according to the release. It said that will include expanded temperature screening of all employees, limiting inmate visitation, increasing sanitation measures, additional medical screening questions for new inmates, social distancing, videoconferencing of some court proceedings, isolation/quarantine of inmates as appropriate, while requiring employees and inmates to wear masks.
Contact tracing is being utilized for the deputy who has been confirmed to have COVID-19, and Dennis said he’ll be in touch with DHEC to protect the public.
On Tuesday, 595 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in South Carolina by DHEC. Of the new cases of COVID-19, DHEC said 15 were confirmed in Sumter County, where 648 positive tests have been confirmed since March.
Overall, 19,990 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in South Carolina, which has seen 607 coronavirus-related deaths, according to health officials.
As of Wednesday afternoon, 8,261,260 people worldwide have been diagnosed with coronavirus and 445,468 people have died, and 4,013,202 have recovered, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States leads the world with 2,148,357 people who have been diagnosed with the novel virus. In the U.S., 117,301 deaths have been reported, including 30,935 in New York City.
This story was originally published June 17, 2020 at 2:47 PM.
