The Coconino County Detention Facility is currently experiencing its first COVID-19 positive mass outbreak since health-related protocols to mitigate a mass spreading of the virus were established in March 2020.

As of the of morning Thursday, Jan. 13, CCDF has 44 inmates and 11 detention staff members who are currently COVID-19 positive.

The Coconino County Detention Facility Medical Department began a mass COVID-19 testing of all inmates and Detention staff starting Thursday, Jan. 13.

CCDF is expecting more positive cases to come out as staff get the results back from the mass testing.

People arrested in Oak Creek Canyon or the Coconino side of Sedona are taken to the Flagstaff facility.

“Because of the safety measures put in place and the hard work and efforts from our staff, we have been able to fight off a large outbreak of the virus in the facility for almost two years,” Coconino County Sheriff’s Office stated. “This is an unusual accomplishment for congregate settings such as jails. Early on, we had restricted our facility from having physical contact with the outside world in order to keep the virus out or limit the number of positive cases once the virus did get in.

“With the number of COVID-19 positive cases climbing in Coconino County we knew at some point we would see increased numbers of positive cases with our inmate population and staff. With the rapid rise in positive cases, we need to limit the population entering the CCDF for a limited time, in order to create distancing, quarantine, and isolation to protect the inmates and staff.

“Because of the current outbreak, we are at a critical point where we are unable to safely continue to provide these segregated areas. To create the space needed to slow down the outbreak in concurrence with County Health and Human Services, we will temporarily not accept non-violent misdemeanor arrests along with self-surrender court commits.

“With a drop in the daily CCDF population we will be able to keep those inmates who currently are positive, symptomatic, and not positive and not symptomatic, separated and safe throughout the facility. This will also allow us to continue to quarantine new inmates for 10 days, as recommended by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.”

Since March 2020 CCDF has had 308 inmates and 103 Detention Staff test positive for COVID-19.

Currently, medical staff has administered 254 vaccinations to the inmate population. At first, staff were seeing a 30% of the population choosing to vaccinate or had been vaccinated but now that number has steadily climbed to an 80% vaccination rate.

CCDF Medical Staff have been able to treat and care for most inmates testing positive within the facility with only 3 requiring hospitalizations. CCDF has had no COVID -19 in-custody deaths.

Over 2021, CCDF has been able to go months with no inmates nor staff testing positive and other months the jail would have one or two inmates in medical isolation after testing positive for the COVID-19 virus.