Fulton County inmate tests positive for coronavirus

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - An inmate at the Fulton County Jail has tested positive for the coronavirus. 

According to the Fulton County Sheriff's Office, the 38-year-old inmate has been undergoing treatment for a chronic illness, which may have made him more susceptible to the virus.

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“The inmate started complaining about having these symptoms and that’s when he was taken to the hospital, tested and tested positive in Co-Vid 19, said Sheriff’s Office spokesperson, Tracy Flanagan.

The 38-year-old male had been inside the Fulton County Jail for 77 days. He has a cell mate who has shown no symptoms of the coronovirus. To be safe, that cell mate is now in isolation at Grady

“The area is under lockdown and sanitized. Cleaning happening all the time. With this, they stepped it up a notch or two,” said Flanagan.

Deputies have also retraced the sick man’s steps, to see if he spread the virus to other inmates, jailers, or any Fulton County court or jail employees

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According to the sheriff's office, no other Fulton County inmates have shown signs of the virus, but are on lockdown for their safety. 

Since Friday, officials said 30 inmates were released from the Fulton County Jail early to "mitigate jail overcrowding during the pandemic." 

SEE ALSO: Fulton County Jail taking steps to keep inmates, employees safe from coronavirus