SAN LUIS OBISPO — The San Luis Obispo County Jail reported that the COVID-19 outbreak, which started on Dec. 10, 2020, and infected 63 inmates and seven sworn staff, has been declared over by Public Health Officials.

According to the report, the last positive case linked to the outbreak was diagnosed on Jan. 12. The majority of the Jail patients have done well, with one hospitalization and two emergency room visits. All people have been cleared from isolation, and the affected area of the Jail is no longer under quarantine.

In response to the pandemic, the Jail has implemented safety measures to prevent the COVID-19 virus from entering the facility. Since March of 2020, the Jail has been isolating symptomatic individuals. Quarantining anyone entering the facility or exposed to the virus, requiring personal protective equipment (PPE), performing COVID-19 testing, screening staff for symptoms daily, limiting outside visitors, and increasing cleaning measures.

In further effort to keep the Jail safe for residents that must live in this congregate environment, and as a response to the outbreak, the custody staff were offered the COVID-19 vaccine last week. Public Health’s decision to offer the vaccine to Jail staff at the beginning of the County’s phase 1b Tier 1 vaccine plan was supported by the County’s COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force, a group of County stakeholders charged with providing input to Public Health regarding equitable vaccine distribution.

The total number of inmates who have tested positive for COVID-19 since March 2020 is 84, as well as 36 Sheriff’s Deputies: 16 Patrol Deputies and 20 Correctional Deputies. The Jail reports zero deaths due to COVID-19.