BURLINGTON – Alamance County Health Department identified an outbreak at the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center on August 24, 2020. Since the first case was identified, both agencies have been working closely to implement mass testing and additional safety precautions that help protect both inmates and staff. Currently, ninety-nine (99) cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed at the facility. The confirmed cases are among six (6) staff members and ninety-three (93) inmates/detainees. Three (3) staff members are not Alamance County residents and two (2) inmates have been transferred to other facilities, so they will not be included in the Alamance County daily case count; however, these cases will be included in the NC DHHS Congregate Living Settings Surveillance Update. NC DHHS defines an outbreak as two or more laboratory-confirmed cases within a congregate living facility.
“Since March, the Alamance County Detention Center has instituted early screening and testing of inmates and detainees as well as increased sanitation and cleaning of all facilities. With these new positive cases identified, the Sheriff’s Office is committed to aggressively working with our Health Department to protect our staff and those entering our jail. Our staff and medical professionals are implementing more stringent health monitoring, the distribution of masks and hygiene kits, and providing ongoing COVID-19 testing. Our priority continues to be the safety of our staff, inmates, and detainees, and we are doing everything in our power to protect those in our care,” says Sheriff Terry Johnson.
“The Alamance County Health Department and Alamance County Sheriff’s Office Dentition Center began working in close collaboration immediately after the first case was identified in order to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the facility,” stated Alexandria Rimmer, Interim Health Director. “We are working closely to provide recommendations, case investigation, contact tracing, and testing.”
Alamance County Health Department identified its first confirmed case of COVID-19 on March 20. Since then, a total of 3244 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the community. Of those confirmed cases, 2858 have been released from isolation and 340 remain active and in isolation. Included in those active cases, 15 individuals are receiving care at a hospital. Sadly, there have been 46 COVID-19 related deaths. COVID-related deaths include only patients who tested positive for the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, and who died without fully recovering from the disease.
To contact someone in the Alamance County Detention Center, please visit JailATM at https://deposits.jailatm.com/webdeposits/.
