DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A local sheriff is addressing what she's doing to make sure inmates and staff don't get sick amid the coronavirus outbreak.
There are an estimated 35 to 40 people processed in the DeKalb County Jail daily, but they are usually released within 24 hours. The typical stay is 29 days, so there is some concern if someone had coronavirus and if it is spreading in the jail.
Sheriff Melody Maddox held a news conference on Wednesday, in which she assured inmates’ family they are ready. The jail’s infirmary has six isolation cells: four for men and two for women. If someone needs a higher-level quarantine, they would be taken to Grady Memorial Hospital.
Health experts also discussed what happens if an inmate develops symptoms after a few days.
“The security aspect of it is to have the officers have a watchful eye of patients who may develop symptoms after coming into the facility. If they get symptoms later, those patients will be masked and immediately moved into isolation,” a health expert said during the news conference.
After that, deputies would contact the health department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
When inmates are on their way into the jail, authorities check their temperature and they have to answer certain questions and those questions are related to travel.
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