SHELBY COUNTY, Tennessee — NEWS RELEASE FROM SHELBY COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE:
SCSO EMPLOYEE TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID-19
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office has learned from the Shelby County Health Department that an SCSO employee who works with detainees at the Shelby County Jail (downtown) has tested positive for the COVID-19.
We cannot disclose personal information about this employee due to privacy and
Confidentiality laws.The employee is currently self-quarantined at home, and we are working with the Shelby County Health Department to ensure appropriate follow-up measures are taken for this staff member and detainees.
SCSO has been utilizing heightened screening procedures for detainees over the past several weeks. No detainee has tested positive for the virus.
SCSO has also implemented a pre-screening protocol for employees and vendors prior to entering the jail. This screening process includes the completion of a health and
Travel questionnaire and a temperature reading. Employees and vendors who have recently traveled to Coronavirus epicenters or are symptomatic are denied entry into the jail.
For weeks, SCSO has been working with our Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice partners, to include the Attorney General’s Office and the Public Defender’s Office, in a concerted effort to reduce the jail population. There are 2,006 detainees in the Shelby County Jail, which is about 70% of its capacity, and 212 detainees at Jail East, which is about 55% of its capacity.
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office continues to monitor the developments with the
Coronavirus pandemic and the latest guidelines issued by local, state, and federal health officials in an effort to keep our staff and community safe.
