Sonoma County Jail in lockdown after COVID outbreak

SANTA ROSA, Calif. - Nearly 200 inmates are in lockdown at the Sonoma County Jail due to a COVID outbreak.

The detainees are in isolation as public health officials conduct COVID testing Wednesday, according to the Press Democrat.

Since Dec. 28, seven jail employees and 12 inmates have tested positive.

The first to test positive was a third-party contractor working at the site, but it isn't clear exactly how the outbreak started.

This is the third COVID outbreak among inmates and employees at the jail since the beginning of the pandemic.

In December 2020, 18 inmates were infected with the virus, and in July 2021, 31 detainees tested positive.