Outbreak at Mendocino County Jail expands to 76 people

UKIAH » At least one inmate was hospitalized last week as the outbreak of COVID-19 at the Mendocino County Jail expanded to include 73 people testing positive, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office reported.

According to Lt. John Bednar, a total of 63 inmates had tested positive for the novel coronavirus as of Jan. 2, and there are currently 39 active cases at the jail. As of Saturday morning, 17 inmates have recovered from the virus since the outbreak was detected on Dec. 19 when a corrections deputy tested positive. Another seven inmates who tested positive “were released through the courts or (through) time-served.”

Bednar also confirmed that an ambulance responded to the jail the morning of Jan. 1 for one of the COVID-positive inmates who was having difficulty breathing. The inmate was transported to Adventist Health Ukiah Valley and “admitted for observation.”

Also as of Jan. 2, Bednar said that 13 employees had tested positive for the virus, with five already cleared to return to work.

In a Saturday press release, the MCSO described “the confirmed cases as largely isolated to the original outbreak areas, with a small number being discovered outside the quarantine area. We continue to identify these individuals and attempt to quarantine them away from unaffected inmates. Testing will continue in targeted areas to identify any new cases, while on-site medical providers continue to monitor and care for those affected individuals”.

The release also noted that “testing amongst jail staffing has been increased to twice weekly with staff reporting to OptumServe for testing,” and that the jail administration is working to “develop the most effective mitigation protocols, and arrange for safe return of jail releases into the community.”

According to the MCSO, the virus had previously been detected in the jail on Aug. 10 when an inmate, described only as a 42-yearold male extradited from out of state on a county warrant, had tested positive for COVID-19.