45 Collier County inmates test positive for COVID-19

Forty-five inmates in one cell block of the Naples Jail Center have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office.

Inmates in the cell block have been isolated since they were tested Aug. 11. Nine of the inmates are experiencing mild symptoms while the rest are asymptomatic. The 32 deputies who have worked in the affected cell block are being tested. Those with negative results are isolating for 10 days, which is in line with CDC guidelines. So far, none of the 32 deputies have tested positive, CCSO said.

“Jails and prisons are vulnerable to COVID outbreaks because they are large, contained environments. The Collier County Sheriff’s Office has followed CDC guidelines at the Naples and Immokalee jails throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The facilities are sanitized regularly, incoming inmates are screened for symptoms and have their temperature taken before entering the facility, and new inmates are isolated for 14 days before being moved to general population. In addition, all personnel who work in the facilities must wear facial coverings and inmates must wear facial coverings while being escorted within the facilities or to court,” read a statement from the sheriff’s office.