Among some of the most vulnerable to catch the coronavirus are inmates in jail. The extremely confined arrangements can be breeding grounds for COVID-19 should the virus reach the prison population.
Sheriff Marlin Gusman says his jail is doing what they can to protect their inmates, “We’ve done our best to reduce the (jail) population. We have released almost 30 people that we released. We are continuing to look at that and release more.”
The sheriff says he says inmates who have a fever or are suspected to have the virus are segregated from the rest of the prison population. He also says inmates' temperatures are checked twice a day.
He says the coronavirus measures he has taken at the Orleans Parish jail extends to staff and outside contractors visiting the jail. “We are dialing screening all of our staff and contractors at the door for temperature and targeted screening questions. We have since added an oximeter which measures the level of oxygen in the blood.” He adds, “We are also screening all new arrestees at intake.”
Sheriff Gusman says his jail staff is taking steps to protect themselves from the coronavirus and he as adjusted their work schedule to minimize staff exposure, “Our deputies have personal protection equipment. We have staggered our work schedule for our administrative employees. No contact visitation permitted at this time.”
He continues, “We have closed our employee dining room and take out is only available. No inmate visitation except for attorneys. And we have extended the time the inmates can use the telephone at no additional cost to them.”
In Jefferson Parish, Sheriff Joe Lopinto says he is also taking measures to protect his deputies and inmates from the coronavirus.
Lopinto says he has sent home vulnerable staff members and started a rotating work schedule to minimize employee contact among other measures, “So far it’s working but I’m sure we’ll come with problems and we will have to deal with them.”
Because people are staying at home and not out spending money on shopping, eating at restaurants and entertainment, collected taxes in the parish are expected to be down and Jefferson Parish leaders are weighing whether or not to suspend tax collection amid the COVID-19 crisis.
Lopinto, whose office is tasked with collecting parish taxes, says the parish is losing tax money because of the virus and says he is against city leaders wanting to hold-off on collecting those taxes.
“Let’s face it, we’ve had a lot of calls with the city making decisions or ‘ok we are going to suspend the collection,’ I don’t really think that is the right move. I know collections are going to be down. I know they are going to be down tremendously.”
He says although tax collection may be down, taxes collected on things like gun sales are actually up.