Mineral County Sheriff's Office employees quarantined due to COVID-19

By MONTE TURNER

Mineral Independent

COVID-19 has struck the Mineral County Sheriff’s Office.

The Office is operating at half capacity due to COVID-19 exposure from a woman who was detained for her own safety.

While it is not known if or how many officers have the virus, their exposure to the woman requires a quarantine period.

"All shifts are being covered," Sheriff Mike Toth said. "It’s just we had to adjust some hours of work to make sure days and night shifts are covered.

Everyone is expected back on or before Nov. 16.

"Obviously I am able to take phone calls and do as many meetings as needed from zoom. I’m in constant contact with County Attorney and the commissioners and of course my staff."

Toth said if officers under quarantine didn't test positive may return to duty Monday, Nov. 16 if they do not test positive on the retest or develop COVID-19 symptoms.

According to information from Toth, the incident occurred on Interstate 90

when Toth, Undersheriff Wayne Cashman and one deputy responded to the scene

where the woman was returned to a holding cell at the jail.

A District Court Judge ordered the woman be committed to the Montana State Hospital in Warm Springs, but regulations call for a COVID-19 Test before that could be initiated. That’s when a female dispatcher accompanied a deputy in transporting the woman to Missoula for the test where they learned that she had the virus.

According to the Sheriff, by that time, she had been in custody for 12 hours and had contact with five people.

This is the second time one of the deputies has been quarantined as a close contact, and Toth said he is working with the Mineral County Health Department for future protocol to move forward.

Mineral County has been extremely fortunate during the past eight months. Many were concerned visitors from the Seattle and Portland areas would bring the virus during the summer months while driving I-90.

But, according to figures from Gov. Steve Bullock's COVID-19 Task Force, there have been 17 cases, including one active, and no deaths.

Mandatory masks are required when a county has four active cases.

"What I would like people to understand is that this is what can happen when you have a working sheriff," Toth said. "This call came in around 6:30 a.m. and I located the person on I-90 near Fish Creek around 7 a.m. Moving forward the Undersheriff and myself will take steps not to be together on the same calls if at all possible.

"Working with COVID and people traveling from out of county puts law enforcement officers at risk and we will be working with the health department and the state to come up with precautions that will work for law enforcement) in situations where we have to go hands on with suspects."