Harris Co Sheriff’s Office Number Of Confirmed COVID-19 Cases Reaches 38

The number of Harris County Sheriff’s Office employees diagnosed with coronavirus has climbed to 38, with the overwhelming majority of infections occurring among those working in the county jail. Two employees are hospitalized as a result of contracting COVID-19.

As of Thursday, 29 Sheriff’s Office jail staffers had tested positive for COVID-19.

There are currently 219 Harris County Sheriff’s Office deputies, detention officers and support staff on quarantine for possible COVID-19 exposure. Eighty-eight previously quarantined employees have now been cleared to return to duty. Seventy-seven Sheriff’s Office employees have been tested, but are still awaiting results. Twenty-eight employees have received negative test results.

The Sheriff’s Office is working with Harris County Public Health to identify co-workers, inmates, and members of the public who may have had close contact with the diagnose d employees so they can take necessary precautions, including quarantine and testing for those with symptoms.

As of Thursday, five inmates in the Harris County Jail have tested positive for COVID-19. An additional 69 inmates are in quarantine with symptoms indicative of the virus and are awaiting test results. The number of inmates on observational quarantine without symptoms because they were possibly exposed to someone with the virus now stands at 1,233.

All jail employees have been issued protective masks and are instructed to wear them while on duty. All inmates have also been issued masks. Regular temperature checks are performed daily on all employees as they report for duty.