Richland County sheriff tests positive for COVID-19, department says
Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott tested positive for COVID-19, the sheriff’s department announced Wednesday.
Sheriff Lott learned of his exposure to the coronavirus on Thursday after a news conference at the South Carolina Department Corrections. He self-quarantined after learning of the exposure., a Richland County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson told The State.
Lott’s initial test came back negative, according to the sheriff’s department.
“Out of an abundance of caution, Sheriff Lott was tested again today, Wednesday, Dec. 16. The results came back positive for COVID-19,” the spokesperson said.
As a precaution, Lott had been self-quarantining since Dec. 9, according to the sheriff’s department. He’s feeling well and resting at home, the spokesperson said.
“I feel fine,” Lott told The State. “No symptoms. Getting a lot of paperwork for the end of the year caught up.”
Lott said he appreciates the community’s prayers and support.
Lott has led the Richland County Sheriff’s Department since 1996.
Through Tuesday, 241,471 cases of COVID-19 and 4,444 coronavirus-related deaths have been confirmed in South Carolina, according to the Department of Health and Environmental Control. In Richland County, there have been 21,324 positive tests and 296 deaths, data shows.
Some other well-known people with South Carolina connections who have tested positive for the coronavirus include Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, USC President Bob Caslen, Gamecock men’s basketball coach Frank Martin, Masters champion and Irmo native Dustin Johnson, U.S. Rep. Joe Cunningham and Nancy Mace, the candidate who defeated Cunningham for the state’s 1st District congressional seat, among others.
In April, a Richland County sheriff’s deputy was confirmed to have the coronavirus, becoming the department’s first full-time law enforcement officer to test positive.
At that time, Lott said his deputies had access to protective equipment and other preventive measures such as hand sanitizer, adding that department vehicles and buildings were decontaminated.
In July, a 35-year veteran of the Columbia Police Department died of complications from COVID-19. Master Police Officer Robert J. “Bob” Hall was 57 when died a little more than a week after he began receiving treatment for the coronavirus.
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This story was originally published December 16, 2020 at 12:28 PM with the headline "Richland County sheriff tests positive for COVID-19, department says."
