Fifteen employees of the Blount County Sheriff's Office have tested positive for COVID-19, with five now quarantining at home, according to the Sheriff's Office.
Deputies and support personnel have the highly contagious virus, according to a statement from Sheriff Jim Berrong. The sheriff did not specify how many deputies had tested positive for the virus.
"The majority of the deputies are reporting mild, flu- and cold-like symptoms. Daily operations at the Sheriff’s Office are running efficiently, and no inmates have been affected," the sheriff's notice states Tuesday.
According to Berrong, employees are observing guidelines to control exposure and spread including a mask mandate and daily temperature checks of employees and visitors to the Blount County Justice Center on Lamar Alexander Parkway.
The sheriff said the building also undergoes routine cleanings.
"We are also continuing to shield our inmate population from exposure inside the facility. Prior to the booking process, corrections deputies take temperatures of incoming arrestees before being allowed into the facility, and they receive additional screening from our medical staff if it is warranted."
In an attempt to control potential spread, many inmates make court appearances by video appearances, a process other area jails and court systems are observing.
“We are doing everything we can to prevent the spread of this virus among our 350 deputies and our inmate population. To say it has been a challenge to manage this pandemic among our ranks is an understatement. The inherent dangers that our deputies face on a daily basis, especially in today’s environment, are now magnified by way of this insidious virus."