BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – Two Bexar County Sheriff’s Office deputies and 27 inmates are under medical observation after officials say they may have been exposed through secondhand contact to COVID-19.
Officials say a Bexar County District Court employee’s family member tested positive for the coronavirus recently.
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The employee hasn’t developed symptoms or tested positive as of yet for COVID-19, officials say, and they had been following precautions to avoid infection.
Health officials say the likelihood of anyone being infected through the secondhand exposure is low.
Of the 27 inmates that had contact with the employee, officials say 22 that are still in custody were evaluated and placed under separate medical observation on Friday night.
None of the inmates are showing any symptoms, and officials say the medical evaluation is precautionary.
The two deputies are also not showing any symptoms, but they have been placed on administrative leave so they can self-monitor and report changes in their health condition to BCSO Administration, according to BCSO officials.
Five potentially exposed individuals have been released from custody, according to the BCSO.
Currently no BCSO staff or inmates have been diagnosed with COVID-19 as of yet.
COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019. The disease first appeared in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, but spread around the world in early 2020, causing the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic in March.
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