Riverside County Sheriff’s Department deputy died of COVID-19
Riverside County CA April 3 2020 A Riverside County Sheriff’s Department deputy died of COVID-19, authorities said Thursday.
Deputy Terrell Young, a 15-year-veteran of the department, is the first member of the agency to die of the respiratory illness, the department said.
The department had three deputies who tested positive for the coronavirus as of Saturday and several other deputies were ordered to self-quarantine while waiting for coronavirus test results.
“They are in good spirits while recovering,” Sheriff Chad Bianco previously said in a video.
It’s unclear whether Young is one of the three COVID-19 patients previously reported by the department.
The Sheriff’s Department had also reported its first case of COVID-19 involving an inmate on Saturday. Bianco said the person had “very limited contact” with other inmates and was immediately isolated.
There were 429 coronavirus infections and 13 deaths reported in Riverside County as of Wednesday, according to the Riverside University Health System.
The sheriff said the agency had been working with officials to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the county since a plane with about 200 Americans evacuated from Wuhan, China arrived at the March Air Reserve Base back in January.
The department had ramped up cleaning of its facilities and brought personal protective equipment for personnel, Bianco said.
No further details were immediately available.
