Santa Barbara County Jail contract employee tests positive for COVID-19

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - A Santa Barbara County Jail contract employee has tested positive for COVID-19.

The employee is a Ventura County resident and was contracted from WellPath and assigned to the jail for inmate medical services.

On Saturday, the employee began experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19. The employee was tested and began self-isolation at home. On Thursday, they were informed that results of the test were positive.

Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office says the employee had interacted with some inmates and staff the day before becoming symptomatic. The sheriff's office said they had been consistently wearing personal protective equipment including goggles, an N95 mask and a gown while at work.

After an evaluation, no additional staff or inmates were found to be symptomatic or suggested for self-isolation protocol.

This is the second COVID-19 related incident at the Santa Barbara County Jail. Earlier this month, a civilian employee tested positive which resulted in 12 staff members being isolated.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office says that employee has recovered after experiencing mild symptoms and has returned to work after being cleared by Santa Barbara County Public Health. None of the self-isolated employees developed symptoms, and all of them were cleared to return to work.

Currently, no inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 and none are in isolation.

The Santa Barbara County Jail has suspended in-person visits, increased the frequency of cleaning of housing and common areas, and begun screening inmates prior to intake. Anyone who enters the jail is also receiving a temperature reading.