YORK COUNTY, SC – There are currently no inmates in the York County Detention Center (YCDC) positive for COVID-19. This comes six weeks after 47 positive cases were reported to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC). At one point positive cases reached 60.
“To have no positive cases is tremendous news and shows the hard work and dedication our detention staff has made to prevent any further spread of COVID-19 in the facility,” said Sheriff Kevin Tolson.
To prevent spread of COVID-19, once an inmate is moved out of the booking process, he or she is separated in a housing unit for a 14-day medical evaluation. Those inmates are temperature checked regularly and also tested weekly for COVID-19. Once they have two consecutive negative COVID-19 tests the inmate is allowed to be moved into general population.
Once in general population, inmates are required to wear masks outside of their cells and maintain physical distancing from other inmates as much as possible. Each month every inmate in the facility will be tested for COVID-19.
As of March 8, 2021 the entire York County Sheriff's Office staff has no cases of COVID-19. Only one staff member is on quarantine as a preventative measure. The last positive case of COVID-19 for a YCSO staff member was in mid February.