Racine Co. Sheriff reports no staff or inmates with COVID-19 at their facilities

RACINE -- No staff or inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 within the Racine County system as of May 1, Sheriff Christopher Schmaling announced Friday.

As the third-largest jail population in the state of Wisconsin, the sheriff and his staff introduced in early March a robust plan of safety precautions intended to keep first responders, frontline staff, inmates and the community safe from the spread of COVID-19. On average, there are 500 inmates daily and over 200 staff members across all operations in Racine County.

These safety measures include:

In addition, beginning April 29, 2020, the Sheriff’s Office added UV sanitation of all areas using the Skytron 1140 Sentry Disinfection Robot which uses a highly germicidal ultraviolet bandwidth which causes photochemical damage to cellular DNA and virus RNA. This technology is most commonly used in hospitals to quickly sanitize surgical rooms, municipal water supplies and is now being utilized in the Racine County Jail. Studies have shown that UV disinfection is 99.999% effective in the reduction of coronavirus. Additionally, this device can also be used in other county facilities, including the Racine County Board Room and Racine County Circuit Courts, so that our county government and judicial system can continue to safely serve our community, thereby creating peace of mind for all. A grant covered the purchase of the technology.