In Androscoggin County, Sheriff Eric Samson said it’s too soon to go back to prepandemic protocols.
“We are still following guidelines, as much as practical, regarding the precautionary measures taken due to the pandemic,” Samson said. “It isn’t over yet.”
His patrol officers are continuing to exercise discretion in making arrests while using recommended personal protective equipment on the job.
Yet, the numbers of inmates at Androscoggin County Jail are back up, closer to prepandemic levels, he said.
On Tuesday, the headcount was 139, he said.
“We only have so many holding cells. And if our holding fills up, we can’t send people into the (general) population, because we can’t get their test results back soon enough,” he said.