Headline Surfer photo illustration / The first positive tests for the coronavirus were reported at the Volusia County Branch Jail in Daytona Beach, FL , Volusia County Officials reported Wednesday, June 24, 2020, that three indivuals have tested positive for COVID-19, two two emploees and a former inmate.
By HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- It was bound to happen.
Two employees and a former inmate at the Volusia County Branch Jail have tested positive for COVID-19, marking the first coronavirus cases at the county-operated facility.
The jail was notified of the positive cases on Tuesday, prompting the facility to go back into lockdown mode to help prevent spread of the virus.
The county also is enhancing cleaning and disinfecting procedures at the jail and is working with the Florida Department of Health on the contact tracing of anyone at the jail who may have come into close contact with the three people who have tested positive, Volusia County spokesman Gary Davidson told Headline Surfer.
The inmate who tested positive was booked into the jail on June 18 showing no symptoms and was released approximately 15 hours later.
"While in custody at the jail, the inmate was initially in a receiving area and wore a mask for the entire time there," Davidson said.
"The inmate was later transferred to a single cell and didn’t come into contact with any other inmates in the general population," he continued. "A relative notified the jail about the positive COVID-19 test on Tuesday. The two employees whose test results were received on Tuesday – one a correctional officer and the other a civilian employee – are on leave while self-quarantining."
Davidson said Volusia County’s corrections staffers were notified about COVID-19 showing up at the jail in a message from Corrections Director Mark Flowers that emphasized the need for proper hygiene and the wearing of masks – which is mandatory any time employees are around inmates or in a group of two or more employees. The inmate population at the Branch Jail as of Wednesday morning was 1,274.
“It is now more important than ever to wear your mask, wash your hands with soap and water and practice social distancing as best as you can,” Flowers told employees. “You must follow these guidelines as we must keep the cases contained and not allow it to spread throughout.”
Volusia County government spokesman Gary Davidson said Volusia County’s corrections staffers were notified about COVID-19 showing up at the jail in a message from Corrections Director Mark Flowers that emphasized the need for proper hygiene and the wearing of masks – which is mandatory any time employees are around inmates or in a group of two or more employees. The inmate population at the Branch Jail as of Wednesday morning was 1,274.
“It is now more important than ever to wear your mask, wash your hands with soap and water and practice social distancing as best as you can,” Flowers told employees. “You must follow these guidelines as we must keep the cases contained and not allow it to spread throughout.”
To promote social distancing by preventing the congregating of inmates, the jail was placed on lockdown back in April.
Under the lockdown, virtual visitation was implemented in lieu of face-to-face visitation and that service has continued throughout the pandemic.
Also, all newly-arriving inmates are quarantined for 14 days and inmates’ use of showers and telephones are still permitted, but on a limited basis.
In response to recent cases, the county has made arrangements to establish a testing site on Friday for corrections, EMS and fire rescue personnel with the county and Volusia’s cities.
Story Posted: Wed, 06/24/2020 - 19:24
About the Byline Writer:
Henry Frederick is publisher of Headline Surfer, the award-winning 24/7 internet news outlet launched 12 years ago that serves greater Daytona Beach, Sanford & Orlando, Florida via HeadlineSurfer.com. Frederick has amassed more than a hundred journalism industry awards in print & online -- more than than all other members of the working press combined in Central Florida since the mid-1990s. He earned his Master of Arts in New Media Journalism with academic honors from Full Sail University in 2019. Having witnessed the execution of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Florida's death chamber and other high profile cases, Frederick has appeared on national crime documentary programs on Discovery ID and Reelz for his investigative reporting and cops & courts breaking news stories.