507 inmates test positive for COVID-19 in Fresno Jail, 25 officers as well

A total of 507 Fresno County Jail inmates have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus in results released Monday by the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. In addition, 25 correctional officers and one court deputy have tested positive.

Sheriff’s spokesman Tony Botti said a total of 979 inmates have received test results for the virus, and there are additional 186 pending test results. Three inmates refused to be tested. The jail is in day 11 of a 14-day quarantine.

Botti said an “overwhelming majority” of those receiving positives tests are isolated with others with a positive status in the facility’s North Jail. However, there are also some inmates isolated in the main jail.

The correctional officers and deputy are self-isolating at home.

Botti said jail workers are distributing face masks and soap to all jail inmates. He added that anyone who tested positive and is due to be released is provided with information to prevent infecting others before they walk out of the jail.

Across three jail facilities in Fresno, there are 2,125 inmates, including about 1,200 in the North Jail where the outbreak is centered, Botti said. There are 500 correction officers working between the three facilities.

This story was originally published June 29, 2020 at 2:32 PM.