Sumter County detention center under 10-day quarantine

Jail under emergency quarantine after rising COVID cases in the area

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Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center is undergoing a 10-day quarantine, between Dec. 31, 2021, and Jan. 10, 2022, because of the recent increase in positive Covid testing in the Sumter County area.

“After the 10 days,” Sheriff Anthony Dennis said, “We will reassess the situation to determine if we will return to regular operations, with normal Covid procedures in place.”

“The most notable change,” Dennis said, “is that phone and video communication is prohibited because it would be extremely difficult to properly sanitize the devices between frequent use. We are doing everything we can to proactively prevent inmate and employee exposure to the virus as we continue to house new inmates.”

Detainees are tested twice a week and testing at the detention center is also available to detention officers, medical staff and other employees. The medical unit is open 24-hours a day and the detention center building is sanitized three times each day using a sanitizing fogger device.

Families can continue to add money to an inmate’s canteen account through the online portal at sumtersheriff.org.

Bond court will continue as scheduled, however, only victims will be allowed inside of the courtroom without accompaniment. Attorneys and vendors are allowed into the facility by appointment only.

Normal detention Covid procedures, such as, checking temperatures, providing masks, regular sanitizing and quarantining new detainees, etc., are still in place.