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A total of 13 corrections officers, nine sheriff's officers and one nursing staff member have or are returning, the sheriff said Tuesday.
An ICE detainee who tested positive for COVID-19 also was cleared to return to general population, he said, adding that four ICE detainees remained in isolation.
No county inmates are any longer in isolation, the sheriff noted.
Cureton also said he's signed a purchase order with Keefe Commissary to provide free commissary benefits to all county inmates and ICE detainees. Each will get a “food pack” and “snack pack” free of charge, he said.
“The donation of these care packages of food will likely help reduce some of the anxieties experienced during this unprecedented health crisis,” said Dr. Diana Riccioli, the sheriff's interim director of behavioral health.
Among other developments, Cureton said:
- His office received a shipment of supplies Monday from Bergen County’s Office of Emergency Management -- including N-95 masks, surgical masks, hand sanitizer, gloves, and Clorox wipes;
- His office also also received several cases of disinfectant supplies and personal protection equipment (PPE) donated by civic groups and local businesses to supplement the BCSO supply stock;
- The BCSO bought three electric- and one gas-powered fogger "to increase disinfectant capacity throughout the agency. These tools are being used to sanitize units in the jail and patrol vehicles after each shift."
“Like many departments across the tri-state region, COVID-19 has affected our agency personally, impacting several of our officers, medical staff, and civilian personnel," Cureton said. "For all those who have experienced this virus directly or through their loved ones, I am praying for a full and swift recovery.
"While most Bergen County residents are able to safely socially distance from home," he said, "it is a difficult and stressful time for first responders who have to come to work every day knowing that they are putting their health and wellness on the line.
"I can't thank the brave men and women of the Bergen County Sheriff's Office enough for their outstanding professionalism throughout this entire crisis," Cureton said. "[We] are one big family and we will get through this together.”
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