Las Vegas police announce new protections at county jail

The Metropolitan Police Department said Monday that it is implementing new protective measures to keep inmates at the Clark County Detention Center healthy amid the growing COVID-19 pandemic.

Many of these protocols have been in place since late January, according to a statement, and there have been no confirmed inmate cases of COVID-19 at any of Metro’s detention facilities.

Metro announced March 27 that a corrections officer had tested positive for the coronavirus. The department said, “The employee never entered the workplace after returning home from vacation and was not experiencing symptoms prior to leaving Las Vegas.”

According to Monday’s statement, 13 inmates have been tested for the virus and 11 have tested negative, with two results pending.

The following protocols are in place, according to Metro:

— enhanced cleaning protocols, 24/7;

— sanitation stations in the booking area;

— holding cells reduced by 61 percent;

— inmates are screened for recent travel to hot spot areas and screened for symptoms before they’re booked;

— officers and staff are screened before they enter the building;

— any inmates considered to be at high risk for COVID-19 are either placed under close medical observation in negative pressure rooms or, if they’re showing symptoms, taken to the hospital;

— limiting outside providers coming into the facilities;

— directives to officers to not make misdemeanor arrests unless necessary or mandated by law.

They have also implemented the following social distancing strategies within inmate housing, the statement said:

— educating inmates on the importance of social distancing;

— split module free time;

— multiple meal schedules;

— spacing inmates out at the phones, tables and restrooms;

— open dorm bunks when available;

— weekly phone calls available for inmates to stay in touch with their families.

Contact Alexis Egeland at aegeland@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0335. Follow @alexis_egeland on Twitter.