By Anthony Galaviz
The Fresno Bee
FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. — At least 1,200 inmates inside Fresno County’s North Annex jail have been placed in quarantine after 13 inmates tested positive for the coronavirus, the sheriff’s office said Friday.
Last week, 25 inmates housed on floors two, three, four and five of the North Annex jail were tested and the results initially came back negative. The inmates had already been scheduled for transfer and after the tests results came in, they were taken to Wasco State Prison.
In Wasco, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation conducted its own tests on the 25 inmates and 13 came back positive.
“In response to this news, the North Jail Annex was placed into precautionary quarantine and all inmates are now being closely monitored for symptoms of COVID-19,” sheriff’s office spokesman Tony Botti said in a news release.
Nine inmates so far have a fever.
The sheriff’s office said the inmates and others that may have symptoms will be tested and provided with any necessary medical attention.
There will be no inmate movement within the North Jail until further notice, the sheriff’s office said.
“These 13 positive tests represent the largest spike in cases we have seen associated with our jail,” Botti said. “We are working to identify any possible cause for this spike and to see if other areas of the jail may be impacted.”
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©2020 The Fresno Bee (Fresno, Calif.)