City and County of
San Francisco
Office of the Sheriff
Established 1850
July 17, 2020 San Francisco Sheriff's Office Newsletter Issue 75
A Message from Sheriff Paul Miyamoto
Protecting Public Safety During the Age of COVID
Dear Friends,

It’s been over four months since COVID-19 altered our lives. We’ve had to learn new ways of living and working and safeguarding ourselves from an invisible threat.

Our mission is to keep everyone safe. We test people who are booked into custody for COVID. In doing so, we are helping to track the virus and prevent its spread -- in both the jails and in the broader community -- as many justice-involved individuals are released following arrest.
Deputy Sheriff Tests Positive; Contact Tracing Underway
Just today we learned that a that a Sheriff’s Deputy assigned to the Hall of Justice Courts as a bailiff tested positive for COVID-19.

The deputy was asymptomatic and had followed department safety protocols at work including wearing a face mask, practicing social distancing and frequent hand washing. As the City recommends, the deputy tested for COVID in San Francisco. The individual received a positive result yesterday evening, July 16.

The Sheriff’s Office began a contact tracing investigation immediately to identify people who may have been exposed to the Deputy Sheriff. Kudos to our team led by Chief Michele Fisher, Sergeants Terence Durkan and Fabian Perez, and Deputy Ronnie Wan who follow this process.

The virus is surging again so this is not completely surprising. What’s critical is that we both follow CDC guidelines to prevent COVID and share information as soon as someone tests positive. Tracking potential exposures will prevent further spread.

This is the seventh Sheriff’s employee who has tested positive for COVID. Five staff tested positive in March 2020. One staff member tested positive in early July after being exposed to COVID while traveling out of state and has not returned to work. 

This virus is wily. We cannot for one minute let our guard down. Please wear your face mask, practice social distancing and wash your hands frequently.
Keeping COVID out of Custody
Our Custody Operations staff, led by Acting Division Commander Kevin McConnell and Captains James Quanico, David Murphy, Stephanie Colmenero and Stephen Tilton, are meeting the extraordinary challenges posed by a global pandemic. Working with Dr. Lisa Pratt of Jail Health Services, a section of the Department of Public Health, the team has imagined every possible scenario, planned and executed accordingly, and improvised as required. 

To date, 24 people -- all asymptomatic -- have tested positive for COVID in our jails. Most people test at booking before they are housed and everyone who stays in custody is quarantined according to CDC guidelines.

Only three of the 24 justice-involved remain in custody and have since tested negative. All others have been released.

Recently, Jail Health Services quarantined 25 people in San Francisco county jail after a possible exposure. Among those individuals, there are 12 people who remain in custody. They have all tested negative three times and were released from quarantine today.

There are currently no known COVID cases in county jail.

Our strict testing and housing protocols have insured that people who test positive remain isolated while in custody and get the support they need when they are released. 

Keeping COVID out of Custody
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