Last week, Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir announced a COVID-19 cluster at the Detention Facility that led to the jail being locked down with no visitation. However, he told the County Commission Monday morning there have been no new cases reported.

“I think we got a hold of it pretty quick,” he said. This does mean that inmates and staff are recovering. 

The inmates came out of quarantine at the end of last week, he said. But, “I’m probably going to leave the jail locked down for now until we know for sure.”

So, “there are some unhappy inmates over there,” he said. “But, this is one of the few jobs where customer satisfaction is not that important.”

The sheriff said he can require inmates to be tested for COVID, if there is a reason for him to believe they or someone else is at risk. When they are in his custody, he has the same medical authority as a guardian.

He can’t randomly require testing if there is no cause. Nor can he mandate vaccinations, since the shots are elective.

“But, if something is medically necessary, I have the authority to make that happen,” he said. 

“We do issue every inmate that comes in a mask and we change them out with the laundry every week, and wash them,” he said. “We sterilize things. We’ve been fogging the jail again. We’re doing what we can, but you’re dealing with the virus. So, we just don’t know when it’s going to come walking in the door again.”