SAN FRANCISCO—On Friday, July 17 San Francisco Sheriff Paul Miyamoto announced that a sheriff’s deputy assigned to the Hall of Justice Courts as a bailiff tested positive for COVID-19.
According to Miyamoto, the deputy was asymptomatic and followed department safety protocols at work including wearing a face mask, practicing social distancing and frequent hand washing. The deputy received a positive test result on Thursday, July 16.
“The virus is surging again so this is not completely surprising,” said Sheriff Miyamoto in a statement. “What’s critical is that we not only follow CDC guidelines to prevent COVID, but that we also share information as soon as someone tests positive so we can track any potential exposures and prevent further spread.”
The sheriff’s office reached out and notified other justice partners including Superior Court Judge Loretta Giorgi, the supervising judge of the court’s criminal division; District Attorney Chesa Boudin; and Public Defender Manohar Raju.
This is the seventh sheriff’s employee who tested positive for COVID-19, five other employees tested positive back earlier in the year in March. In addition, another employee tested positive for COVID-19 at the beginning of July, after being exposed to the virus while traveling out of the state of California. They have not returned to work.
Back in April, Jail Health Services, a section for the Department of Public Health started testing new arrestees for COVID-19 prior to being booked and housed. Only 24 people have tested positive, all asymptomatic and all have been isolated while in custody.
Only 3 of the 24 remain in custody and have since recovered. All others have been released.
Officials have stated that Jail Health Services quarantined 25 people in San Francisco County Jail after a possible exposure. Among those individuals, there are 12 people who remain in custody. They have all tested negative three times and were released from quarantine on July 17. There are currently no known COVID cases in county jail.
