As Omicron cases surge across the nation, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department reported a spike in the number of positive cases at county jails and announced quarantine plans.
The department said late Friday that more than 350 people in custody have tested positive for COVID-19 over the “past few days.”
As a precaution, the department will temporarily transfer 200 male inmates to the Las Colinas Detention and Reentry Facility in Santee, the facility used for women.
The transferred inmates will be quarantined in a currently empty housing unit at Las Colinas.
“Additional deputies and staff will be sent to Las Colinas to handle the increased population at the facility,” the department said in a statement. “We want to reassure the citizens of Santee these individuals will be properly secured within the facility.”
This temporary change in housing will remain in effect until the COVID positive rate goes down in county jails. At that time, all male inmates will return to their previously assigned facility, according to the department.