Four additional Smith County Jail inmates were tested yesterday after having exhibited some signs of the Covid 19 virus.
Today at approximately 3:00 pm, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office was notified that two additional inmates have tested positive for Covid 19. This brings the total number of Covid 19 positive inmates to four.
All four Smith County inmates will be housed at a Gregg County facility. At the incipient stage of the Covid 19 outbreak, Sheriff Smith and Gregg County Sheriff Maxey Cerliano developed the following strategic plan. The two Smith County negative pressure ventilation medical cells would be utilized for the first two Covid 19 positive inmates. Should more than two test positive, the 2nd phase would be to open a Covid 19 facility in Gregg County in which all Covid 19 positive inmates in either Gregg or Smith County would be housed until they were virus free.
The 2nd phase of the strategic plan was implemented after the 2nd Smith County inmate tested positive this past Monday. At this time, the Gregg County positive inmate as well as the four Smith County positive inmates are being housed in the Gregg County facility. The four positive Smith County inmates were previously housed together at the Smith County North Jail (Low Risk Facility). As of this time, all Covid 19 positive inmates were housed in the same tanks in the facility and so far the virus has been contained within that portion of the facility.
A Smith County detention officer tested positive at the North Jail Facility a few weeks ago and had been in direct contact with these inmates. The detention officer contracted the virus from a family member who works in the medical field.
For more information on the Smith County Sheriff’s Office visit www.smithcountysheriff.com. The Sheriff’s Office also has a FB page and can be followed on Twitter at @SmithCSO.