Governor Asa Hutchinson announced earlier today that there has been a confirmed case of the Coronavirus in Pine Bluff and the patient is currently in isolation.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is taking precautions with new inmates now that a patient has been identified in Jefferson County according to Alicia Dorn, Public Information Officer with the sheriff’s office.
Dorn stated the following:
The nursing staff has been instructed to conduct medical evaluations. They are required to take the temperatures of any individual being brought into the facility whether it be a misdemeanor or a felony.
If we see a hike in the temperature of a detainee, they will be evaluated based on their charge, for whether they need to be taken to another facility or given a promise to appear, rather than to have them expose other detainees to the illness if we find that the individual has been exposed to or in contact with someone who has Coronavirus.
We have communicated with the Health Department in an effort to obtain testing kits that will be utilized to test current detainees, detainees being brought in, and staff as well. These procedures are being followed by both the juvenile center and the adult detention center.
Jefferson Regional held a press conference at 2 p.m. to discuss the protocol being followed at the hospital and more. You can hear the press conference below.
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