As of Friday, more than 100 inmates at the Alachua County Jail are positive for COVID-19, said Alachua County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Captain Kaley Behl.
Of the positive inmates, 88 are male and 20 are female. Additionally, 27 employees tested positive for the virus, Behl added.
In-person visitations and inmate programs will remain on pause.
“The ones that are within the jail that require them to move around and gather as a group, like the GED programs,” Behl said. “All that’s on hold.”
The jail offers inmates Johnson & Johnson vaccines, requires masks and social distancing and decontaminates the jail with foggers on a regular basis.
No inmates have been hospitalized for COVID-19 and most are experiencing symptoms of a mild cold, Behl said.
The jail will mandate regular temperature checks, N-95 masks, social distancing and no staff dining to reduce the spread of the virus among employees. Although there are no exact numbers on how frequent testing is administered, Behl said it is more than they have in the past.
“Testing is being highly encouraged,” Behl said. “It’s definitely increasing.”
Contact Troy Myers at @tmyers@alligator.org or follow him on Twitter @Troy_Myers1.
Troy is the criminal justice reporter and a fourth-year journalism major with an outside focus in business administration. He previously studied accounting for two years at Santa Fe College but has since transferred to UFCJC. When Troy isn’t writing, he enjoys going to the beach and spending time with his dog, identical twin brother and family.
