We've carried out other Sheriff's Office emergency actions such as:
-
Postponing evictions beginning midnight, March 17, 2020, until further notice.
-
Closing the Women's Resource Center and suspending classes at the SFSO Community Programs building.
-
Continuing to support justice-involved people on Alternatives to Incarceration through our Community Programs unit.
-
Expanding the Sheriff's law enforcement protection services to include Moscone Center, where the City is staging its Emergency Operations Center; COVID-19 testing and shelter sites; and providing additional security for enforcing the Laguna Honda Hospital health order.
-
Providing patrol wagons for citywide district station transfers.
-
Deploying more deputies to patrol expanded perimeters.
Helpful links
Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention
San Francisco Department of Public Health
SF.gov for stay-at-home order frequently asked questions
How is the Sheriff's Office working with other agencies?
The Sheriff’s Office coordinates daily with Mayor Breed's office. We work side by side with the Department of Public Health's Jail Health Services, which manages the health care of our incarcerated adult population. We collaborate with multiple public safety and public health agencies. We communicate with the Department of Emergency Management to distribute accurate and timely public safety and health information.
What is the Sheriff's Office and Jail Health Services doing to prevent exposure to COVID-19?
SFSO cohorts newly arrested people at County Jail #2 through the recommended quarantine period to minimize contact with incarcerated people in County Jails #4 and #5. We also house people over 60-years-old in single cells in a designated area.
In early March, Jail Health Services implemented enhanced screening, including temperature checks to rapidly identify any person booked into jail who shows COVID-19 symptoms or has been exposed to the virus. On April 12, 2020, Jail Health Services expanded COVID-19 testing to include any new bookings who are subsequently housed in jail.
If a person develops symptoms that require more extensive medical treatment than Jail Health Services can provide, they will arrange to transport the individual to the appropriate facility.
We also distribute hand sanitizers and masks to the incarcerated population as an extra measure to protect against infection. Our staff undergo health screenings and temperature checks before entering jail facilities and wear masks on the job.
Preventing coronavirus by washing your hands
How does the Sheriff’s Office protect staff?
Our deputies are trained to manage communicable diseases and protect themselves and the public. We follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s standard precautions to prevent disease transmission, from washing your hands to not touching your face and cleaning and disinfecting environments that may be contaminated.
The Sheriff’s Office also provides personal protective equipment to employees for specific working environments, such as jail. This may include disposable gloves; safety glasses or goggles; respirator mask; and antibacterial soap to flush skin.
We have employee health screenings across all SFSO locations and assignments to protect staff and the public from COVID-19 exposure. Screenings include ThermoScan temperature readings and completing an expanded questionnaire to detect symptoms. Jail Health Services also screen arresting officers prior to jail entry.
Since March 31, 2020, the Sheriff's staff wear masks at all locations.
What steps has the Sheriff’s Office taken to prevent an outbreak of COVID-19 in the jails and other public spaces where deputies provide law enforcement services?
We’ve taken a number of proactive steps. These include:
- Isolating newly arrested people at County Jail #2 through the recommended quarantine period to minimize contact with incarcerated people in County Jails #4 and #5.
-
Working with the Department of Public Health to identify, monitor and cohort our most vulnerable populations, who may be older or immunocompromised, to ensure their safety.
-
Providing hand sanitizers and masks to the incarcerated population as an extra measure of protection.
-
Posting notices to incarcerated people and the public educating them about prevention strategies including frequent hand washing and not touching your face.
-
Issuing training bulletins, health safety reminders and video messages to staff advising them how to protect the public and themselves from community outbreak.
-
Emailing the jail visitor population with updates.
-
Increased cleaning and sanitizing of jails and workspaces.
We continue to expand upon these measures as indicated in our COVID-19 Response and Action Plan.
Is there a danger that someone from the outside could bring the virus into the jail?
Yes. But that’s not unique to the jails, the courts or the other places where the Sheriff’s Office provides law enforcement protection. The Department of Public Health has established guidelines based on the Centers for Disease Control protocol to prevent and control an outbreak of COVID-19. My office follows these guidelines.
Our goal is to minimize public exposure to the virus while carrying out our mission to protect public safety in the City and County of San Francisco.