Starting on April 14, the Boone County Sheriff’s Office began mandatory COVID-19 testing for all BCSO employees, to be conducted approximately every two weeks. Within the eleven bi-weekly tests so far, 1401 total tests were conducted, having resulted in one positive test on April 30, one on July 8, and now a third on September 10.
Upon receiving the results on September 10th, the employee was immediately quarantined at home, and will remain isolated for a period of two weeks. The employee will then submit to two more tests before returning to work. Both tests, at least 24-hours apart, must have a negative result before the employee
returns to work.
BCSO continues to follow suggested guidelines, provided to us by local, state, and federal health authorities.
Sheriff Mike Nielsen stated, “With the positive COVID-19 cases in Boone County surpassing 1000 over the weekend, the data supports the virus is not letting up and neither are we. The BCSO command staff will continue to protect our staff, their families, the inmates, and the public that we encounter daily. In the
last 1401 tests within our department, we have had only three positive tests results since we begin mandatory testing in April. Each one of those positive results were from our enforcement division deputies. The mandatory policies and procedures we have had in place since April of this year clearly has helped us stop the spread of COVID-19 to their families, their shift partners, the staff, the inmates, and the public. The deputies are out in the public every day while working for the BCSO and while engaged in many community activities. Their day to day job and community service obligations touches many adult and children’s lives in this county, even after they leave work. Since the virus was first made public and the initial quarantines were mandated, the BCSO command staff decided not to work from home at any time. Our duty is to keep the county safe. We were actively patrolling the county, booking in prisoners, answering 911 calls, delivering civil papers, cooking meals, and administratively keeping the office running. We implemented the mandatory policies and procedures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 so we could continue to do our job. We are committed to keeping everyone safe. The COVID-19 virus is not discretionary and the BCSO will not be discretionary either.”