SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—At least nine Santa Cruz County Jail correctional officers have tested positive for Covid-19, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office announced in a press release Monday.
All nine are now off work, and six officers have been quarantined based on contact with infected coworkers, Sgt. Christopher Shearer said in the press release. Contact tracers from the County health department are attempting to determine the source of the outbreak.
Late last week, several correctional officers displayed Covid-19 symptoms at work, Shearer said. No inmates have tested positive or shown symptoms.
All correctional staff and every inmate will be tested over the next 72 hours and will be treated or quarantined as necessary, Shearer said.
This is the first outbreak in Santa Cruz County jails.
Enhanced safety procedures, screening and hygiene protocols to protect staff and inmates were put in place in March, and have been updated as new information and methods to prevent infections have developed.
