Wichita —The Sedgwick County Detention Facility has 123 confirmed cases of the COVID 19 virus. This includes 112 inmates and 11 cases for staff members, according to Lt. Lanon Thompson.
Testing for all inmates and staff began on Monday. The jail expect to test all current inmates this week. Our current inmate population is 1510 inmates. On July 31, the jail learned an inmate who worked in the jail kitchen tested positive for the virus. There are 54 inmates assigned as kitchen inmate workers. These kitchen workers prepare and deliver meals to the inmates throughout the facility.
The Sedgwick County Detention Facility has been in consultation with experts from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the Sedgwick County Health Department and our contracted medical provider. The following steps are being taken to combat the pandemic:
As inmates arrive in the detention facility housing area, they will be housed separately and tested. Once testing results are received, they will be housed according to their test results.
Inmates that have tested positive are being housed together. Inmates that have tested negative are being housed together. Inmates that have tested and are awaiting test results are being housed together. Any inmate that is symptomatic for the Covid-19 virus is being housed separately in isolation.