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Sheriff's office officials said a man with coronavirus was arrested but he didn't infect anyone at the jail.
A Putnam County Jail inmate was confirmed positive for coronavirus Wednesday but did not infect deputies, other inmates or medical staff.
The suspect was released on bond in fewer than 24 hours and was ordered to stay inside while being monitored by the health department, according to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.
The inmate was tested for COVID-19 before being arrested by the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office because the individual was living with a coronavirus-positive person.
Deputies visited the residence Tuesday because the first positive individual in the household refused to self-quarantine, according to a press release.
The suspect was waiting for test results when deputies arrested him Tuesday for a violent felony warrant issued prior to the visit.
Deputies used personal protective equipment to transport the individual to the jail, entered through an alternative route in the jail and put the suspect in a reverse-ventilation medical isolation cell.
“This was a perfect example of everything going right and according to procedures we have in place on the road and in jail,” Sheriff Gator DeLoach said in a statement.
The current number of cases in Putnam County increased to 25 as of 6 p.m. Thursday. Floridadisaster.org reported 672 people have been tested in the county, with 641 negative results and six results pending.
“Our protective measures enacted by the sheriff’s office with guidance from the health department and medical staff are effective,” DeLoach said. “Furthermore, this serves as an example of the dedication and selflessness of our deputies who took all of the necessary steps to protect themselves and our inmates.”
The Florida Department of Health reported 16,826 coronavirus cases in Florida, and the statewide death toll hit 371 by 6 p.m. Thursday. There is only one reported death in Putnam County.
One local coronavirus case came from Welaka, one case came from Crescent City, two cases came from East Palatka, eight cases came from Interlachen and 13 cases came from Palatka, according to the Florida Department of Health in Putnam County.
The sheriff’s office partnered Tuesday with local pastors, who visited Putnam County Jail inmates during Holy Week. But sheriff’s office spokeswoman Allison Waters-Merritt said the pastors’ visitation and the time the coronavirus-positive inmate was brought in did not overlap.
“Those (instances) were not correlated at all,” Waters-Merritt said. “(The inmate) came in at 4:30 p.m. (or) 5 p.m. the same day we had the ministers, but we had the ministers in at 9:30 a.m.”
The sheriff’s office conducted all necessary steps to ensure the safety of the inmates, officers and pastors, she said.
“The health and safety of our members, the community and our inmates are our No. 1 priorities as we navigate these difficult and uncertain times,” DeLoach said. “Our members are trained and equipped to handle any situation that arises from this national health crisis.”