All inmates in the two affected housing areas were tested regardless of whether the individual exhibited symptoms. As of Friday, November 13, 2020, 61 inmates in the Mesa County Detention Facility have tested positive for COVID-19. Additional test results are pending. Eight employees working in the Mesa County Detention Facility have tested positive for COVID-19. Two staff members working in other divisions of the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office have also tested positive.
The on-site medical provider is closely monitoring the health of all inmates and providing care for individual symptoms. Affected inmates are quarantined, and any inmates that may have been exposed remain medically isolated from the rest of the facility per public health recommendations. Each of the six housing units in the Mesa County Detention Facility are physically separated from each other. Additional measures have been put into place to limit movement in the facility and minimize further spread of illness. All inmates are issued Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Staff is screened everyday and required to wear PPE at all times. Infected staff are self-quarantining and not on duty. Employees identified through contact tracing with a possible exposure are self-isolating per public health recommendations.
“While the number of positive cases has grown, this is what we planned and prepared for. We are diligently working in coordination with Mesa County Public Health and our medical provider to provide the best care possible and implement strategies to slow the spread of the virus,” said Sheriff Matt Lewis. “I want families of those in the detention facility to know our mission has not changed. The health and safety of those in our care is our priority.”
The Sheriff’s Office has made and continues to make significant changes to operating procedures to reduce the spread of infection. If you have an emergency, please call 911. Emergency services have not been impacted.
For more information about operational changes at the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office, please visit https://sheriff.mesacounty.us/covid19/
To view, previous press releases click here.
