'Several' Yancey County Sheriff's Office employees test positive for COVID-19

BURNSVILLE, N.C. (WLOS) — Staff at the Yancey County Sheriff's Office are being tested for COVID-19 after some employees tested positive.

The sheriff's office confirmed Tuesday that "several" employees tested positive, but officials would not give an exact number, citing privacy concerns.

According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services dashboard, there are eight cases of COVID-19 among employees at the Yancey County Jail. The state’s case outbreak report, updated Tuesday, did not list any cases among inmates.

CORONAVIRUS INFORMATION CENTER: TRACK THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS, IMPACTS, AND HEADLINES ABOUT THE PANDEMIC HERE

The sheriff's office is rapid testing workers so anyone who comes back negative can go back to work.

Officials said the absences have affected the department's operations but did not elaborate.