First COVID-19 Case Reported At Fulton County Jail

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Fulton County Jail officials said Monday an inmate in his 30s tested positive for COVID-19. He is being treated in a hospital. / GPB News

An inmate at the Fulton County Jail has tested positive for COVID-19.

Jail officials took a man in his 30s to a local hospital, where the test was performed. He also has a chronic illness that may have rendered him more susceptible to the virus, jail spokeswoman Tracy Flanagan said in a news release.

The man's roommate has been quarantined alone, and inmates in the area who have not shown signs of the virus are on lockdown for their safety.  

"The floor where the ill inmate was housed has been sanitized," the release said. "The jail always follows a strict cleaning regimen and that was enhanced after the outbreak of COVID-19."

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Fulton County Chief Jailer Says Crime Isn't Down, But Inmates Are Keeping COVID-19 Away

Jail officials started screening inmates for COVID-19 last month, GPB News previously reported. They followed a similar screening process as nursing homes, watching for symptoms and stepping up how often shared spaces are cleaned. Inmates started using an electrostatic sprayer to apply disinfectant without wiping surfaces.

Staff members who feel ill are required to stay home.

An employee at one of Georgia's state prisons has tested positive for COVID-19, the Georgia Department of Corrections said Wednesday. 

MORE: Georgia Department of Corrections Employee Tests Positive For COVID-19

While the GDC did not disclose which of the 34 state prisons the affected employee was assigned to, the department said there are no positive cases reported among the prison population. The GDC is working to mitigate spread of the virus, according to a statement. 

Georgia's correctional system is one of the largest in the country, with over 10,000 employees and 54,000 state prisoners.

Fulton County's jail granted early release to 30 people since Friday as part of the chief jailer's desire to keep the population low during the pandemic.

Anyone arrested has a right to appear before a judge, who will determine whether a bond is required to leave jail and wait for a court date. That won't change, but courts have scaled back on the number of cases they see.

Last week, an order from the chief judge of Fulton County Superior Court suspended trials. First appearance hearings are still taking place at the Fulton County Jail Monday through Saturday, Col. Mark Adger said.

"Once they get to the first appearance process and the regular machinery of justice starts to turn, that may slow significantly because of the fact that we're not doing grand juries to indict cases and the judges are not holding trial jury trials," Adger said.

No spectators are allowed by order of the chief magistrate judge.