35 inmates in Florida Keys jail test positive for COVID-19, sheriff’s office says
At the Monroe County jail on Stock Island, adjacent to Key West, 35 of the 438 inmates have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the sheriff’s office said Monday.
The 35 inmates, all men, began testing positive for the virus last Thursday, sheriff’s office spokesman Adam Linhardt said.
No inmates have been taken to Lower Keys Medical Center after their diagnosis, he said.
“All symptoms are either very mild or asymptomatic,” Linhardt said.
This is the first outbreak of COVID-19 at the jail, Linhardt said. Before, some people who had been arrested and brought in were found to be positive for the virus.
“They never made it all the way to the general population,” he said. He did not have a number but said it was a single digit.
The jail’s medical program is nationally accredited and the medical provider, Wellpath, is working with the state Department of Health to monitor the jail, Linhardt said.
Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay released a statement praising his staff.
“My team has done an amazing job keeping our detention staff and inmates safe during these incredibly difficult times,” Ramsay said. “We have plans in place to deal with this situation and will move forward accordingly.”
As of Monday, the jail has had a total of nine deputies test positive for the virus, Linhardt said.
“Currently, we have three detention deputies out who tested positive, one of those three as of last week,” Linhardt said.
The subject of inmates with COVID-19 did not come up during Monday’s county emergency management call.
“We have no unmet needs at this time,” Ramsay said, when it was his turn to report to the county.
The affected inmates have been moved to a separate wing of the jail and are in single cells. They are all under quarantine.
“They have an opportunity to see medical personnel at least twice a day and on request where necessary,” Linhardt said. “All appropriate inmates and staff are being tested.”
All new inmates are screened, he said. Their temperature is taken and their oxygen saturation levels are being measured.
“The jail has tripled the cleaning of well-traveled areas and housing areas and masks are required to be worn by everyone in the facility,” Linhardt said.
The Plantation Key jail is open and had 24 inmates on Monday but has no known cases, Linhardt said.
On Monday, Monroe County confirmed 26 additional cases and no new deaths. The county has a known total of 3,140 cases and 27 deaths.
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