FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Durham, NC - (Friday, March 19, 2021) --- Durham County Sheriff Clarence F. Birkhead is sharing data regarding the COVID-19 vaccination process among detainees and Sheriff’s Office employees in coordination with the Durham County Department of Public Health (DCoDPH).

“We are still serving the public throughout this pandemic; and to carry out our mission we must continue following all health protocols,” said Sheriff Birkhead. “Our primary goal is to protect the residents of Durham County, all those in the care and custody of our detention facility and the men and women of this agency. That is why I recently informed all employees representing the Sheriff’s Office to sign up to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Now that the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS) prioritization “Group 4” is underway, we are starting to make significant progress in terms of scheduling and administering the vaccine to detainees too. My office will continue working with DCoDPH and our medical provider (Wellpath) to ensure everyone in the care and custody of the Durham County Detention Center (DCDC) will have the opportunity to get vaccinated, if they so desire.”

Detainees
In accordance with the vaccine prioritization plan from NC DHHS to date, 113 detainees have received the vaccine. In addition, a total of four (4) contractors working in healthcare roles at the DCDC have also been vaccinated. As of today, there are 323 individuals detained at the Durham County Detention Center. All safety protocols remain in place at the facility, including remote visitation, wearing a cloth face covering at all times and meetings with attorneys via video conference inside the building.

DCSO Employees
75 percent of all DCSO employees have either been vaccinated or are scheduled to receive the vaccine. “We continue to educate employees who seeking more information about the vaccine, as I recently hosted a virtual town hall with local and state health experts to provide the latest information,” Sheriff Birkhead said. “Our goal is for all DCSO employees to complete this process as soon as possible, but it is dependent upon the availability of the vaccine and scheduling appointments.”

Sheriff Birkhead concluded: “The very nature of our work requires continual human contact and interaction – be it inside the Detention Facility, at the Durham County Justice Center, or when our deputies travel throughout Durham County responding to calls for service. Throughout the duration of the pandemic that started over a year ago, I have received input from my command staff while consulting with medical and health professionals across our region, state, and nation.

“As the leader of the Durham County Sheriff’s Office, I am responsible to follow the science and the resulting data. We continue to operate to serve the community we are sworn to serve. All current proactive measures are necessary to keep our detainees, Sheriff Office staff and the public safe. The pandemic has forced us to continually review our practices and policies to ensure that we are doing our best to keep everyone safe from contracting this potentially deadly virus. We will continue to adhere to all guidelines set by the CDC, NC DHHS and Durham County Department of Public Health. As new information about the pandemic becomes available, we update our procedures.”

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