Stay-at-home extension, jail employees addressed in daily COVID-19 update

JACKSON, Tenn. — Local leaders and health officials held their daily COVID-19 press conference Wednesday.

How much longer will you be at home? That’s the question many are asking.

“I anticipate we will extend the order that’s in place for another 7 days. I believe that comes up Thursday,” said Madison County Mayor Jimmy Harris.

The city, county, and health department are talking every day to determine when restrictions will ease up.

“When positive numbers stop rising, and we see that curve stay flat, that’s when we can begin to start letting our guard down a little bit,” said Jackson-Madison County Regional Health Department Director Kim Tedford.

The City of Jackson is enforcing park closures as well.

“We had to go to some parks and disperse some gatherings,” said Jackson Mayor Scott Conger. “Most places, we’re working with our codes department and police department. We want to work with people. The last thing we want to do is write citations or anything like that.”

Tuesday, officials confirmed two detention specialists at the Madison County Criminal Justice Complex tested positive for COVID-19.

“I sat down with Captain Rudder, and we helped identify those employees who were in close contact, so we could send them home to self quarantine for 14 days,” Tedford said.

Tedford said 20 employees were sent home as a precaution, but the number of positive cases could go up.

“It possibly could, with the number we’ve sent home to self-quarantine,” Tedford said. “I won’t be surprised if it does, at all.”

And so far none of the inmates have been tested.

“These employees did not expose anybody in the inmate population,” Tedford said.

Mayor Harris said they are taking extra precautions at the jail and isolating inmates who may be sick.