COVID outbreak at San Francisco County Jail sickens dozens of inmates

Over three dozen inmates at San Francisco County Jail are in isolation due to a COVID outbreak in the correctional facility, the Sheriff's Office said Tuesday.

In a statement, the San Francisco Sheriff's Office said there are 42 confirmed inmates with COVID in its custody, with the highest numbers reported at County Jail No. 3 in San Bruno, which has the largest jail population.

According to authorities, 3.3% of the county jail population tested positive for the virus on Tuesday.

"Jail staff began seeing an uptick in COVID cases last Thursday, June 20th, and took immediate steps to test and separate infected individuals from the rest of the population. High-risk patients will now have COVID testing ordered regularly," the law enforcement agency said.

Inmates and jail staff -- including peace officers, nurses and teachers -- have been encouraged to wear N-95 or KN-95 masks, with test kits readily available.

"To prevent the spread of infection, staff are being advised not (to) come to work if they are experiencing symptoms including fever, cough, congestion, sore throat, and body aches," the Sheriff's Office said.