Churchill County sheriff’s report

One of the very best things about living in this community is the selflessness, willingness and overall community spirit that is demonstrated by so many in times of need and trouble.

People concerned more about the community need and how they can help then what is in it for them, giving from what they have so that others may benefit and be safe.

I would like to recognize one such group who without question or hesitation stepped up and helped out. There was a shipment of much needed Personal Protective Equipment (N95 masks) that was at a staging area in Carson City, and this equipment was destined for this agency as well as other essential county employees to help keep them safe and mitigate the spread of this virus.

Fallon Ford-Toyota heard about this equipment and immediately provided a van to the county Emergency Management team to get this equipment.

Thank you Fallon Ford Toyota and the Henning Family, we greatly appreciate your selflessness and willingness to help this community.

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It was posted on Facebook that the Churchill County Sheriff's Office has put an inmate with COVID-19 into general population with other inmates.

This is not true. We do not have any inmates who are infected with the COVID-19 virus.

The Sheriff's Office Administration has been working with local government and other organizations to use the best practices and preventative measures to help stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus. This includes the following:

• Those people who are recently incarcerated in our jail are placed on a 10-day lockdown. A lockdown entails being confined to a cell for 23 hours with an hour out to make calls and shower. This extends our standard 48-hour lockdown for new arrestees by eight days. This allows our department to monitor the health of the inmate to ensure their health and the health of our personnel and other inmates.

• We have isolated medical cells to house sick inmates from the general population. An inmate diagnosed or suspected to be infected with the COVID-19 virus would not be housed in general population of the jail.

• All Sheriff's Office personnel, both detention deputies and patrol deputies, have been directed, in accordance with the current Center for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, to wear a protective mask when in contact with the general public or inmates. This serves to both protect our personnel and to protect the public at large. We have contact with many people and do not want to expose anyone to possible contact with COVID-19.

Please know that the Sheriff's Office is doing all it can to assure the safety of the people of Churchill County and our personnel.

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The Sheriff's Office takes the safety of those that we are in charge of very seriously. Inmates upon coming into the facility are issued basic hygiene kits which contain soap, toothbrush, toothpaste and other items. They have the option of purchasing different soap via commissary at any time, or we will gladly provide them with more soap upon their request.

We have cleaning carts which are placed into the cell blocks several times a day so that they can clean their cells and the general areas. This cleaning is being monitored by the staff to ensure that the inmates are living in as clean an environment as possible.

Inmates who have been here and not exposed to the coronavirus are being protected from exposure by having the deputies who come and go from the facility wear masks; those inmates that are new to the facility are given masks for any interaction with the staff.

As stated in the public notice, we have extended their lockdown to monitor their health and keep any illnesses away from the general population. When the inmates will be headed to court they will be wearing masks as they will be during any medical treatment trips.