ROCKINGHAM — Sheriff James Clemmons announced in a press release Thursday morning that a recent detainee in the Richmond County Jail tested positive for COVID-19.
According to the press release, the inmate has only been in the jail for a short time and has been isolated since booking to limit others to exposure as much as possible.
“The Richmond County Jail had started using precautions in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic to help prevent the spread,” the release reads. “Persons being brought to jail are being housed at a different location for the 14-day observation period before being placed into the jail population.”
The sheriff’s office is working with the Richmond County Health Department on any cases of the coronavirus in the facility, according to the release.
Four jail staffers have been placed on a 14-day home quarantine per guidelines from the health department and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to Heath and Human Services Director Dr. Tommy Jarrell, this is a new case that will be included in Thursday’s update.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services updated its numbers just before 11 a.m., showing Richmond County with 80 confirmed cases of COVID-19, an increase from 67 on Wednesday.
