CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — Officials at the Cherokee County Jail said Tuesday that they have only had three inmates with positive coronavirus tests since the pandemic started.
That's according to Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer Howard Baker.
"When an inmate does test positive, they are immediately placed in isolation from other inmates," Baker said.
Following up on reports that 11Alive News had received indicating that some inmates who may have tested positive were also part of the food distribution, Baker said that the Cherokee County Jail does not have a cafeteria and none of the inmates who had tested positive were part of the jail's food distribution system.
Specific details regarding when the three inmates had tested positive were not immediately available.
Jails and prisons are locations of particular concern for the spread of the coronavirus as noted by the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"Correctional and detention facilities face challenges in controlling the spread of infectious diseases because of crowded, shared environments and potential introductions by staff members and new intakes," the CDC said in a May report.
A survey covering 420 correctional institutions at the time found that 82 percent of them had reported at least one case of COVID-19 among inmates or staff members.
Some jurisdictions, including Fulton County, have turned to prisoner release programs during the pandemic.
In March, Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard asked local law enforcement to issue citations for non-violent offenders instead of arresting them while the courts are closed due to the pandemic.
11Alive is focusing our news coverage on the facts and not the fear around the virus. We want to keep you informed about the latest developments while ensuring that we deliver confirmed, factual information.
We will track the most important coronavirus elements relating to Georgia on this page. Refresh often for new information.
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