BOURNE – From the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office: Sheriff James M. Cummings is pleased to provide an update on COVID-19 at the Sheriff’s Office and Barnstable County Correctional Facility.
“We are pleased that we have had ZERO inmate cases of COVID-19 at the Correctional Facility. In March, two staff members tested positive. These two staff members likely contracted the virus from a family member, were quarantined and have recovered fully. Since that time, we have had no COVID-19 cases.”
The Sheriff’s Office has designated two housing units in response to the COVID-19 crisis. To ensure the safety of staff and inmates, all new non-symptomatic admissions to the Barnstable County Correctional Facility are housed in their own single cell, placed on a Non-Constant Observation Medical Watch, and monitored by medical for symptoms of COVID-19 for a period of fourteen (14) days.
Working together, the Massachusetts Sheriffs are committed to serving the communities they are sworn to protect. This responsibility includes the health and well-being of their justice-involved populations and the dedicated men and women on their teams of corrections professionals.
The Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office continues with proactive and strategic steps to limit the transmission of COVID-19 including:
• Providing in-service training on infectious diseases and emergency preparedness for staff before, during and after this crisis.
• Deploying enhanced intake screening protocols to evaluate new arrivals for symptoms of COVID-19 and limit potential transmission.
• Providing a high level of medical care for all individuals while employing specific protocols when potential or confirmed cases of COVID-19 may arise.
• Engaging with medical experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) and the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) to ensure that medical practices are maximally effective and responsive to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Encouraging staff and their justice-involved populations to follow the CDC-recommended practices regarding handwashing, social distancing, continuous sanitizing of facilities and general transmission prevention. Signage has increased throughout our facilities to serve as a reminder of these practices.
• Temporarily suspending in-person visits for families and friends while enhancing alternative means of communication. This includes a range of options such as additional phone calls, mail services or, where available, increased access to text messaging and video conferencing.
• Working with the courts, enhancing videoconferencing and teleconferencing technology to ensure that an inmate’s access to the court is continued.
Sheriff Cummings is continuously evaluating our protocols relating to COVID-19 to ensure the safety and welfare to those we serve. Should the Sheriff see any concerns, he will not hesitate to make any decision or take any measure necessary to keep the staff and inmate population healthy and safe.
