CHEROKEE COUNTY, Texas — In-person visitation at the Cherokee County Jail will be temporarily suspended for the next 30 days due to a recent rise in area COVID-19 cases.
The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office in collaboration with the Texas Commission on Jail Standards made the decision that will be in effect immediately. The order could continue if necessary to reduce virus exposure, Sheriff Brent Dickson said Friday.
"The past several days have seen a sharp increase in inmate COVID cases and that rate is expected to rise," Dickson said in a statement.
While the Cherokee County Jail has not had any known COVID-19 cases, Dickson said the decision was made to "safeguard the inmate population, jail personnel, and the citizens of Cherokee County."
Dickson noted that video calls and telephone calls will still be available by inmates, at a cost, using equipment from the Cherokee County Jail.
This week, the Smith County Sheriff's Office made a similar announcement that in-person visitation would be suspended for the next 30 days. Spokesperson Sgt. Larry Christian said there has been a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases among the jail personnel.
