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11 more inmates at Santa Barbara Co. Jail test positive for COVID-19

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The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office says eleven additional inmates at the main jail have tested positive for COVID-19.

Sheriff's officials say the new cases were detected through follow-up on four cases reported in early August.

One inmate from that group has reportedly refused to be tested and one inmate tested negative. Ten of the COVID-19 positive inmates are asymptomatic and being housed together in double or triple cells while one inmate is symptomatic and being medically isolated, according to the sheriff's office.

A total of 25 inmates at the main jail have now tested positive for COVID-19.

One inmate, 38-year-old Eduardo Velazquez, died on Tuesday. He was being held on $1,250,000 after his arrest by the Santa Maria Police Department on charges related to the sexual assault of a child.

The sheriff's office says 15 of the total cases are currently active. Four inmates have recovered and another five people have been released from custody.