1st Case Of Coronavirus Confirmed In Contra Costa County Jails

MARTINEZ, CA — An inmate at the Contra Costa County jail in Martinez is in clinical isolation after testing positive Tuesday for the coronavirus, Contra Costa County Health Services said. The inmate was aysmptomatic for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, but was tested as part of the county's effort to proactively test inmates without symptoms, CCHS officials said in a statement Wednesday morning.

"That person, who remained in quarantine following booking, has been placed in clinical isolation at the facility where CCHS doctors and nurses are caring for the inmate who is in stable condition," CCHS said.

This is the first Conta Costa County jail inmate who has tested positive for the virus, CCHS Spokesman Will Harper told Patch.

Because the inmate is in isolation, the county says there is minimal risk of infecting others housed elsewhere in the jail.

Further, health care staff and sheriff’s personnel are, and have been, instructed to wear proper personal protective equipment — PPE — and to take other precautions to protect themselves and prevent further transmission of the virus.

A "contact tracing" investigation is underway so the county can identify close contacts of the inmate so they can be placed under quarantine and/or tested for the virus.

Fifty-three coronavirus tests have been performed in the jail to date, according to the county.

Since mid-March, the county has been testing inmates who show symptoms during the booking process. If they test postive, they are put into clinical isolation. All other inmates booked into the facility are placed in a 14-day health care quarantine and screened for symptoms twice daily.

Recently, testing was expanded to include the proactive testing of inmates without symptoms, which led to the testing of this inmate, CCHS said.

"Our deliberative and comprehensive screening process identified this inmate early and allowed us to take necessary precautions to minimize the spread," CCHS said. "We are continuing to proactively test people booked into the jails."

There were 969 total coronavirus cases in Contra Costa County as of Wednesday morning out of more than 15,000 people who have been tested. The county has seen 29 coronavirus-related deaths, with 20 people hospitalized for the virus as of Wednesday morning.

To prevent the spread of coronavirus into Contra Costa County's three jails, the Office of the Sheriff says it has temporarily canceled all professional, official and social visits to the Martinez, West County and Marsh Creek detention facilities.