Navajo County has identified exposure of COVID-19 in the Navajo County Jail and, according to county officials, is aggressively responding to protect the health and safety of staff and inmates. When the Sheriff’s Office became aware of potential exposure, Navajo County Public Health nurses were immediately brought in to perform disease investigations and contact tracing. So far, two cases have been reported in the facility. “COVID-19 can be a dynamic virus, especially in a jail setting,” said Chief Deputy Brian Swanty, “Health screenings conducted upon entry into the jail do not always catch the virus because it is possible to be sick but not have symptoms.” In addition to the enhanced cleaning procedures already in place, jail medical staff monitor every inmate for symptoms daily. When an inmate is booked into custody, they are initially housed separately from other inmates for observation. The Sheriff’s Office then has a process of continued isolation to help prevent spread of illness. Anyone who begins to exhibit symptoms of the virus receives immediate treatment and is further quarantined. “Operating the county jail is an essential function of public safety in all our communities and we will continue to support our local police departments,” explained Navajo County Sheriff David Clouse, “We greatly appreciate the caring and extraordinary efforts of our jail medical staff along with the close coordination and support from our public health nurses.”
