Durham Reporter

County of Durham issued the following announcement on Jan. 21.

Wednesday evening, Sheriff Birkhead notified Durham County leadership about a recent rise in COVID-19 cases at the Durham County Detention Facility. Starting in December 2021, medical staff began to notice a rise in the number of positive cases in people arriving at the detention facility during the intake screening process. As has been our practice for almost two years, all incoming detainees are screened for symptoms of COVID-19 and quarantined before entering the general population.  At the same time, the Sheriff’s Office began to experience staff testing positive for the virus. On January 10, 2022, the first case in the general population was recorded.

 

As Sheriff Birkhead briefed Durham County Public Health Director Rodney Jenkins, BOCC Chair Brenda Howerton, and other leadership yesterday, he said “The Sheriff’s Office and the Durham County Detention Facility has seen an increase in COVID cases amongst our detainee population since the Omicron surge.  After testing the entire facility over the past week, as of today, we have 112 detainees with COVID.”  As we have done since the beginning of the pandemic, the Sheriff’s Office will continue following the science and implementing the recommended mitigation protocols to keep employees and detainees as safe as possible. “In anticipation of increased PPE burn rates, continued testing, the need for additional cleaning supplies, and potential ventilation system improvements, our intention is to submit an emergency funding request to the Board of Commissioners within the next few days to assist with implementing short-term and long-term measures to enhance our mitigation strategies.”

 

At the start of the pandemic, the Sheriff’s Office proactively put various protocols in place to maintain the health and safety of those we are responsible for housing in the facility and our staff.  Prior to the Omicron variant, the detention facility had not experienced a COVID case since April 2021.  By making masks available to detainees, the mandatory wearing of PPE for all employees, increasing access to video visitation with the use of tablets, and instituting random mass testing for staff and detainees we experienced fewer cases than many similar agencies around the State. “While the Omicron variant is having a bigger impact on this agency than at any other time during the pandemic, the Durham County Sheriff’s Office is able to maintain all detention and law enforcement services. We accomplish this by being proactive to mitigate risk. I am proud of the detention officers, deputies, and civilian staff for their dedication to serving the people of Durham while their own health and safety is at risk,” Sheriff Birkhead said.

 

Going forward, the Sheriff’s Office will continue COVID screening for all detainees at intake and staff when they arrive for work. We will conduct mass testing, as has been our practice, to identify asymptomatic cases before they have a chance to impact the health of residents and staff and follow the guidelines set in place by organizations like the CDC and NCDHHS 

Original source can be found here.