Fifty-five inmates at the Sheriff Department’s George F. Bailey Detention Facility in Otay Mesa* were in isolation Monday after testing positive in recent days for COVID-19, authorities said — the most significant COVID-related event to date in the county jail system.
At first, nine inmates reported mild respiratory symptoms last week, and were tested and immediately isolated, officials said. All were housed within module 1C at the maximum-security jail.
On Saturday, 46 other inmates from the affected module tested positive.
“Those who tested positive were transferred to isolation units within our system,” said Lt. Ricardo Lopez. “Two asymptomatic inmates were released from custody prior to their test results being available and one who remains in custody is currently under care at a local hospital.”
Fifteen inmates tested negative, but were being isolated and monitored due to their exposure.
“At this time, the outbreak is limited to one module,” Lopez said, adding that the affected module has been emptied and sanitized to hospital standards and remained empty Monday.
All inmates at the George Bailey Detention lockup will continue to be monitored daily.
“Sanitation remains a priority for our jail system,” Lopez said. “Inmates who are concerned about any aspect of their custody stay have resources available to them upon request.”
Those moved into isolation are in cell style housing units, which allows for less exposure to each other. All have been reviewed by medical staff to determine their individual treatment plan.
As a precaution, inmates in the two adjoining housing units, 1A and 1B, are under quarantine and are being tested for COVID, officials said.
“In each positive case, a thorough contact investigation is conducted to identify inmates and staff who may have been exposed,” Lopez said. “Those who test positive are isolated for a minimum of 14 days. If that person is in our custody; they are monitored by sheriff’s medical staff.”
Legally required release dates are not extended based on positive or pending COVID results. Those released prior to results being available are followed up with by the Department of Public Health.
The jail population has been stable near 4,000, but consideration will be given to conducting additional releases if necessary as “we
continue to monitor our population and the COVID-19 pandemic,” Lopez said.
Continuing measures in response to COVID include:
- Temperature checks for all entering the facilities.
- Daily temperature checks of all inmates in custody.
- Increased cleaning and disinfecting.
- Education and awareness for the inmates.
- Identification and isolation of those with symptoms.
- Empty housing units are designated for isolation to separate the sick from the
healthy. - Masks for inmates and staff, as well as limiting movement at all our jails.
- Emphasis on hand washing and good hygiene.
- And testing is available for inmates and is conducted at the direction of a medical
provider.
*An earlier version of this story incorrectly placed the jail in Jamul.
