The Clay County Detention Center will be in a modified lock down state for 10 days to protect the health of inmates. The modified lock down begins Wednesday, August 11 at 10 pm.

The modified lock down means inmates will be able to move freely in their assigned day rooms with other inmates and not be confined to their cells. Only inmates exhibiting COVID-like symptoms will be isolated for a 10-day period.

The Detention Center quarantine still means visitors will not be allowed for the next 10 days, and there will be no inmate court appearances, with the exception of video arraignments. The Detention Center lobby will remain open so visitors can contribute to inmates’ accounts.

The Sheriff’s Office notes that there is no COVID-19 outbreak in the Detention Center. However, due to community spread of the Delta variant and reduced space at area hospitals, Sheriff Will Akin has placed the Detention Center on lock-down. The inability to obtain reliable COVID tests for symptomatic inmates also prompted the lock-down decision.

“Even a 0.0001% inaccuracy on the tests is too much of a risk to gamble with in an enclosed environment like our jail,” Sheriff Akin said.

The Sheriff’s Office is working with the Circuit Court and Prosecutor to determine which inmates can safely be released during this period. Inmates awaiting trial for serious and/or violent offenses will not be released. The Detention Center will continue to take in those arrested for serious and violent offenses.

The Clay County Detention Center closed to municipal arrests on August 9, for a period of at least 30 days.

All Detention Center employees in contact with inmates are required to be masked, and Sheriff Akin has asked all employees to give thoughtful consideration to getting vaccinated against COVID-19.

After multiple surveys, 17 of the approximately 230 current inmates have asked to receive the COVID-19 vaccination, and the Sheriff’s Office is working through several agencies to coordinate an on-site vaccination clinic as soon as possible.

KPGZ News - Brian Watts contributed to this story