'Strict COVID-19 Protocols' Return To Cobb County Jail

COBB COUNTY, GA — The Cobb County Sheriff's Office will enact "strict COVID-19 protocols" once again due to a rise in COVID-19 cases among staff and detainees, the sheriff's office said in a news release.

Following mass COVID-19 testing July 28, 51 people tested positive for COVID-19 among the jail's staff and inmate population, but the majority of them are not showing any symptoms, the release said.

The following protocols are returning to the jail:

• Face masks are required, regardless of vaccination status.
• Detainees will be required to take a rapid COVID-19 test upon booking.
• New detainees will be placed in a separate pod for 14 days.
• Detainees may request a COVID-19 test at any time.
• Any detainee exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms will receive a test and be placed in a separate pod.

“The data is clear; the Delta variant is especially dangerous for the unvaccinated,” Cobb Sheriff Craig Owens said in the release. “I urge our employees and all detainees to take advantage of the free, safe COVID-19 vaccine for their safety and the safety of the general public.”