On Tuesday the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office says they an asymptomatic positive case of COVID-19 was identified in an inmate.
According to the sheriff's office, all individuals being booked into the LPCC are required to complete a 14-day quarantine before being admitted with the remainder of the jail population.
Because of these protocols put into place at the onset of the pandemic, this offender was still in the mandatory quarantine stage of the intake process when the positive test result was received. All other inmates being housed in the same pod have tested negative for COVID-19, and will be offered additional testing before being cleared from quarantine.
"Policies and protocols like these, which are in place to help regulate the health of the inmate population, equip the LPCC to meet or exceed the very best practices issued by the CDC and the Louisiana Department of Health regarding the COVID-19 pandemic," a release states.
Officials say that the Louisiana Department of Corrections is not allowing transfer of inmates between detention facilities to minimize the spread of COVID.
"These precautions are happening in every parish and require us to be ever so vigilant about who we receive in our facility. Since we do not have the ability to transfer inmates, and we must have space to detain people who are a danger to others, we are working with the administrations of each law enforcement agency within our jurisdiction to help keep everyone safe and healthy."
------------------------------------------------------------
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
To reach the newsroom or report a typo/correction, click HERE.
Download our free app for Apple,Android, Roku and Amazon devices.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Breaking News, Evening News Headlines, Latest COVID-19 Headlines, Morning News Headlines, Special Offers