A new COVID-19 outbreak was reported at the Santa Barbara County Main Jail this week, with five people in custody testing positive as of Thursday.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said custody staff identified a COVID-19-positive person in the male basement dormitory of the jail, which has bunks housing 51 people.
That inmate, who tested positive on Wednesday, was re-housed, and other people in the same housing area “are currently being tracked and tested,” Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Raquel Zick said in a statement.
Four more people in that housing area have tested positive so far.
“Prior to testing positive, the initially detected inmate in this outbreak was recently transported to an in-person court appearance, where he had contact with other inmates from various parts of the facility during those court appearances,” Zick said.
“We are also coordinating with the Santa Barbara Court and the Public Defender’s Office to adjust court appearances to minimize the spread of the virus through the movement of inmates.”
The Sheriff’s Office has not indicated how the outbreak began.
“All staff, both professional and sworn, who work in positions that have direct inmate contact are regularly tested and are required to wear an N95 mask while working,” Zick said in a statement.
Recent outbreaks at the jail include one in the West Module housing unit in late October and early November, which infected at least seven people in custody, and an August outbreak that may have been started by custody staff members, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The summer outbreak infected 90 inmates and five sheriff’s staff members. Three people in custody were hospitalized due to COVID-19.
The county’s Human Resources Department reports 83.5% of county employees were fully vaccinated as of early December, and 62.5% of Sheriff’s Office employees were fully vaccinated as of mid-November, according to information obtained through a public records act request.
— Noozhawk managing editor Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.