DARTMOUTH, MASS. (WHDH) - Six Bristol County Sheriff’s Office staff members and eight inmates tested positive for the coronavirus over the past week, officials said.
A total of nine inmates in Bristol County custody have contracted the virus, according to the sheriff’s office. The infected inmates are being housed in medical isolation as the medical team monitors other inmates in their former housing unit.
Additionally, Immigration and Customs Enforcement reported last week one positive test among ICE detainees in
Bristol County. That person is also in medical isolation and being monitored.
The six staff members who contracted the virus last week include three corrections officers, a communications dispatcher, a nurse, and a classification counselor.
One officer, the nurse, and the dispatcher were last at the facility May 6 and received their positive test results over the weekend, the sheriff’s office said.
The counselor and another officer were last on duty Friday, and another officer was last on duty Sunday. They received notification of a positive test Tuesday.
In total, seven Bristol County Sheriff’s Office staff members have recovered from COVID-19 and have returned to duty.
Eleven others, including the three who recently tested positive, are recovering away from the facility. The sheriff’s office says they have all reported feeling well and expect to be back soon.
“The COVID pandemic has taken a toll on our country,” Bristol County Sheriff Thomas M. Hodgson said. “In the middle of this national epidemic, essential workers like those in corrections, law enforcement, and health care have joined others at grocery stores, gas stations, and other places in reporting to work to keep our country going. They deserve an enormous amount of credit.”
The sheriff’s office says they have implemented new protocols to protect inmates, detainees, and staff from the outbreak, including requiring employees to wear masks and having all areas cleaned and disinfected every day on every shift.
Earlier this month, a group of ICE detainees were accused of trashing their unit inside the Dartmouth detention facility after allegedly refusing to take coronavirus tests.
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