Sheriff: 420+ Muscogee County Jail inmates quarantined
The Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office is battling COVID-19 head on, according to Sheriff Greg Countryman, after 420 inmates were quarantined.
Countryman posted a press release on social media Friday in an effort to keep the public aware of the status of the Muscogee County Jail.
The county’s jail is currently holding a total of 953 inmates as of six o’clock this morning. 7 new inmates have been added since that time, according to records.
Countryman said his office currently has
8 employees who have tested positive for COVID 19. 47 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 and 420-plus inmates who are in quarantine. “In addition, as a direct result of COVID 19, we have been occasionally faced with medical treatment diversions from area hospitals that are stressed to their limits in providing medical care to the public at large,” Countryman said in the release.
The Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office is handling the outbreak by having inmate visitation temporarily suspended at time, but are allowing families to have virtual visitation, ministry and outreach volunteer services are temporarily suspended.
The jail continues to have intake testing and quarantine procedures for new prisoners to ensure the virus isn’t brought into the jail.
Countryman says masks and COVID-19 vaccines are offered to inmates and sanitization supplies are provided to inmates to assist in keeping the jail clean.
Staff and vendors are required to submit to temperature checks upon entering the jail and must wear a mask at all times while inside of the Muscogee County Jail. Employees are also encouraged to remain home when they exhibit any COVID-19 symptoms and are encouraged to get tested.
The jail has over 8,000 protective masks which were donated from a local business to provide to the staff and a donation of over 50,000 mouth swab COVID-19 test kits, which gives the jail the ability to conduct 400 tests of inmates and employees, per week.
Countryman released in the statement that his office has purchased a decontamination fogger device to be deployed within the jail. “This gives us the ability to decontaminate large and small areas efficiently and effectively within the jail, as well as decontaminate the vehicles used to transport prisoners,” the release said.
While police officials continue to battle crime and make arrests — Countryman says, “non-violent offenders who pose no danger or threat to the community continue to receive a principal summons and are released.”
Several months ago, the Muscogee County Jail was COVID-free.
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