Three inmates at the Escambia County Jail have tested positive for COVID-19 as of this morning, Thursday, July 2. Over the course of four months, the jail has tested over 30 inmates and these are the first three inmates who have tested positive.
The three inmates are in a medical unit and are not presenting medical concerns. The three units that the positive inmates came from are being offered testing and will remain in their units collectively pending the results.
“Our priority remains the safety and health of our inmates and employees,” Escambia County Corrections Chief Rich Powell said. “We have procedures in place for infectious disease whereby we have been separating the population who may have had contact with these inmates to prevent further spread of COVID-19 in the jail.”
He added, “These are the first positive cases in the four-month span of the pandemic.”