Columbia County sheriff among 6 quarantined after deputies test positive for coronavirus
(John Locher, Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
News4Jax has learned that Columbia County Sheriff Mark Hunter and five deputies are awaiting the results of COVID-19 tests after the department’s Public Affairs Officer Murray Smith contracted the virus.
Columbia County has seen a total of 2,784 cases and 14 deaths as of Friday , according to the Florida Department Health. Officials say a large percentage of those are attributed to Columbia Correctional Institution in Lake City, where more than 1,300 inmates and 72 staff have tested positive for COVID-19. Four inmates there have died of the disease.
Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Mark Inch and one of his top staff , Deputy Secretary Ricky Dixon, tested positive for COVID-19 last week after visiting Columbia Correctional and attending a Florida Sheriffs Association conference where three other attendees also later tested positive for the virus.
Copyright 2020 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.
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