Santa Barbara, Calif. – On Saturday, an inmate who was COVID-19 positive at the time of arrest was booked into the Main Jail. The inmates’ COVID-19 condition was confirmed through testing at a local hospital prior to booking. The inmate was immediately housed in a negative pressure room and is being medically monitored.

The Sheriff’s Office was recently informed by a third-party testing lab that three inmates who previously tested positive for COVID-19 were, after retesting, found to be negative. This apparent lab error changes the ongoing totals that were previously reported, bringing the total number of COVID-19 positive inmates that have been housed at the Main Jail to nine.

In an effort to provide a more comprehensive view of the status of COVID-19 at the Main Jail, the Sheriff’s Office will be differentiating between COVID-19 cases that originated outside the facility and those that were contracted within the facility. Inmates who test positive for COVID-19 within the 14-day intake quarantine are considered to have been be COVID-19 positive at intake.