Detained juvenile tests positive for COVID-19 in Georgia
A juvenile at a Conyers detention center has tested positive for COVID-19 about two weeks after an employee at the same the facility contracted the disease.
Department of Juvenile Justice Commissioner Tyrone Oliver said the 14-year-old boy, who is detained at the Rockdale Regional Youth Detention Center, woke up with a slight fever and cough on April 27 and was tested. He is the first juvenile to test positive for the disease.
The youth received the positive test results on Thursday, when his parents and the parents of those who share a dorm with him were notified. None of the other 10 juveniles have been tested or showed symptoms of the disease.
While Oliver said he is not sure how the juvenile contracted the disease, a corrections officer who was in contact with the youth tested positive on April 22.
Once the department was made aware of the employee’s positive test result, all 11 juveniles in the dorm were placed in quarantine. The sick juvenile has been in medical isolation since first exhibiting symptoms, though the symptoms went away the next day and have not returned, Oliver said.
DJJ spokesman Glenn Allen said all 11 have continued to receive services, including meals and school work, while in quarantine.
In all, 16 DJJ employees across the state have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
About the Author
Maya T. Prabhu covers the Georgia Senate and statewide issues as a government reporter for The AJC. Born in Queens, New York, and raised in northern Virginia, Maya attended Spelman College and then the University of Maryland for a master's degree. She writes about social issues, the criminal justice system and legislative politics.
