Almost a third of the detainees at the Durham County Detention Center tested positive for COVID-19 over the past week, the sheriff said.
What You Need to Know
The Durham County Detention Center is seeing a spike in COVID-19 cases among inmates and staff
COVID-19 cases are up around the state and the country due to the fast-spreading omicron variant
Wake County jails are also seeing a surge in cases
As of Thursday, 112 detainees tested positive for the coronavirus at the jail, according to the Durham County Sheriff’s Office. The outbreak at the detention center in downtown Durham comes as coronavirus cases have spiked around the state, fueled by the fast-spreading omicron variant.
“The Sheriff’s Office and the Durham County Detention Facility has seen an increase in COVID cases amongst our detainee population since the omicron surge,” Sheriff Clarence Birkhead said in a statement.
The Wake County Sheriff's Office also reported outbreaks at its two jails last week, according to the Associated Press.
The Durham County Detention Center tested its entire population over the past week, the sheriff said, as staff started to see an increase in the number of cases. As of Friday morning, there were 368 people locked up in the Durham County jail.
Birkhead said he notified Durham County leaders about the outbreak Wednesday and said the detention center will likely need more money to help deal with the spike in COVID cases.
“In anticipation of increased PPE burn rates, continued testing, the need for additional cleaning supplies, and potential ventilation system improvements, our intention is to submit an emergency funding request to the Board of Commissioners within the next few days,” the sheriff said.
People who get arrested are all screened for COVID symptoms and put in quarantine before being put in the jail’s general population, the sheriff’s office said.
The last outbreak in the jail was in April 2021, according to the sheriff’s office.
Birkhead said detention center staff began testing positive for the virus in December, as case numbers started to spike nationwide.
The sheriff said the detention center will continue to screen all detainees when they enter the jail, and staff when they come to work each day. He said the sheriff’s office also plans to continue mass testing in the jail.
“While the omicron variant is having a bigger impact on this agency than at any other time during the pandemic, the Durham County Sheriff’s Office is able to maintain all detention and law enforcement services,” Birkhead said.
The sheriff did not say how many detention center officers are out because of COVID-19.