MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office has 14 employees who have tested positive for the COVID19, two of which have already been announced.
We cannot disclose personal information about these employees due to privacy and confidentiality laws. These employees work in various assignments throughout the agency. Thirteen employees are self-quarantined at home, and we are working with the Shelby County Health Department to ensure appropriate follow-up measures are taken for these staff members. One employee has fully recovered from the virus.
SCSO has suspended all vacation leave time for employees and has issued travel advisories discouraging visits to epicenters identified by CDC through April. Business-related travel has been suspended through June.
The agency continues to implement a pre-screening protocol for employees and vendors in detention facilities. This screening process includes the completion of a health and travel questionnaire and a temperature reading. Employees and vendors who have recently traveled to Coronavirus epicenters or are symptomatic are denied entry into these facilities.
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office continues to follow the guidelines of the Shelby County Health Department and CDC by cleaning and disinfecting frequently-touched surfaces and promoting hand and respiratory hygiene in the workplace. Employees are also being reminded to not report to work if they are ill.
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The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office has learned from the Shelby County Health Department that a SCSO detainee has tested positive for the COVID-19.
The detainee has been in the custody of the Shelby County Jail since early January 2020 and is being held on numerous criminal charges with a $599,000 bond. After showing symptoms of the Coronavirus late last week, the detainee was transported to Regional One Health for evaluation.
We cannot disclose personal information about this detainee due to privacy and confidentiality laws. The detainee has been treated and released from Regional One Health and is now quarantined at the Jail. Our on-site healthcare provider (Wellpath) is working with the Shelby County Health Department to ensure appropriate follow-up measures are taken for this detainee. No additional detainee has tested positive for the virus.
SCSO continues to implement a pre-screening protocol for employees and vendors in its detention facilities. This screening process includes the completion of a health and travel questionnaire and a temperature reading. Employees and vendors who have recently traveled to Coronavirus epicenters or are symptomatic are denied entry into these facilities.
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office continues to follow the guidelines of the Shelby County Health Department and CDC by cleaning and disinfecting frequently-touched surfaces and promoting hand and respiratory hygiene in the workplace. All employees who work with detainees are required to wear masks.