36 Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s employees have tested positive for COVID-19

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. -- The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office announced an additional staff member has tested positive for COVID-19 bringing the total to 36 employees who have tested positive for the disease.

The Sheriff's Office says the staff member was assigned to the main jail.

They were tested as part of the sweeping staff testing on Tuesday. The member worked until the next morning but did not have any direct contact with inmates.

The Sheriff's Office say the staff member had been on regular days off since Wednesday and received their COVID-19 test results Thursday morning.

This brings the total number of Sheriff’s Office employees who have tested positive for COVID-19 to 36 people.

25 of them have recovered and returned to work.

Five custody deputies, four civilian staff and two sheriff's deputies are recovering at home.