NORFOLK, Va. — City officials reported on Thursday that an inmate at the Norfolk City Jail is the first offender at the facility to test positive for COVID-19.
The inmate is currently in medical isolation and in good condition. The individual is being monitored closely by the Virginia Department of Health and the jail's medical provider.
The inmate was allowed a free call to notify family members. Last week, Hampton Roads Regional Jail released information about their first inmate testing positive for the virus.
Once the inmate began to show symptoms, the whole floor that the inmate resided in was placed on a 14-day quarantine to help contain the spread of the virus. The Norfolk Sheriff’s Office has also teamed up with Sentara Healthcare to immediately test all inmates on that floor.
All staff who work in that area of the jail will also be tested. Results are expected within 24 to 48 hours.
The Norfolk Sheriff’s Office has enacted proactive measures to prevent the spread of the virus. Those measures include:
- Screening any admits before being booked into the jail
- Stopping any non-essential personnel from entering the jail (such as volunteers and contractors)
- Placing all new admits in a 14-day medical observation before entering the general population
- Working with courts, public defender, and Commonwealth’s Attorney to lower jail population by nearly 30% (a 40-year low)
- Providing PPE to staff and inmates as needed
- Requiring masks for jail staff
- Establishing isolation and quarantine protocols
- Establishing an environmental team to thoroughly clean and disinfect all areas multiple times per day
- Educating inmates on good hygiene and COVID-19 symptoms
- Waiving medical co-pays for any inmate experiencing COVID-19 related symptoms