LA Sheriff's Department suspends all inmate visitations due to coronavirus
Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff walks past a cell full of inmates at the Los Angeles County Central Jail. (J. Emilio Flores/Corbis via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department announced Thursday that all inmate visitations at county jail facilities are temporarily suspended as part of L.A. County's coronavirus prevention efforts.
The new policy will take effect Friday, March 13 until further notice. The jails at each patrol station will remain operational as normal, according to the Sheriff's Department. Only attorney and professional visits will be allowed.
The Department says it "values visitation as an essential part of rehabilitation" but "must make difficult decisions in order to protect the health and wellness of all those who live, work and visit County jails."
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The news comes after California Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted that the state has "waived the 1 week waiting period for those unemployed or disabled as a result of COVID-19." Anyone unable to work, if work hours are reduced, or if their employer is forced to shut down, can file a claim at https://edd.ca.gov/about_edd/coronavirus-2019.htm.
For more information on the coronavirus, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.