Hamilton County, TN – On Friday, May 22, 2020 a CoreCivic employee who works at the Silverdale Detention Center tested positive for COVID-19 after a close family member tested positive. The employee was tested Thursday, May 21, 2020 as a precautionary measure.

CDC recommended guidelines are being utilized at the Silverdale facility to assure the safety and well-being of all staff and inmates. Jail personnel are also currently tracking all inmates and personnel who may have come into contact with the employee.

Sheriff Jim Hammond would like to reassure the public and those who may have family or friends incarcerated at Silverdale Detention Center that Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office and CoreCivic personnel are maintaining extraordinary measures to routinely sanitize the facility. The sheriff’s office is continuing to work with CoreCivic and the Hamilton County Health Department to safeguard the health of our inmates and personnel due to COVID-19. This includes planning facility wide testing employees and inmates.

Currently, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, CoreCivic, and the Hamilton County Health Department are formulating a plan to provide facility wide testing. The testing will be scheduled as soon as testing materials are made available. The Hamilton County Health Department is treating this incident as an urgent situation and is working closely with the Tennessee state government to coordinate the testing efforts.

Updates on testing will be provided as they come available. No further details are available at this time.