The following was submitted from Knox County Sheriff Timothy Carroll: I want you all to know that I am committed to providing the citizens of Knox County the highest quality of law enforcement services possible. In order to provide you this service, I need to keep my staff members as healthy as possible for as long as possible.

COVID-19, a.k.a. Coronavirus disease, is considered a new infectious disease for us humans. It is characterized as having similarities to influenza, a.k.a. flu, and is spread from the fluids from your mouth and nose, i.e. coughing, sneezing, runny nose.

Effective ways to prevent the spread of this disease, and others, is by washing your hands regularly, avoid touching your face and keep your distance from others, especially if showing signs of infection.

Effective immediately, I am implementing strategies that will slow the spread of illnesses, such as COVID-19, so that my staff and I can keep providing you with the high level of service you deserve.

Below is a list of measures I am implementing immediate:

• All contact visits at the Knox County Correctional Facility, a.k.a. Knox Jail, are suspended.

• All fingerprint collections are suspended.
• All new Civil Process (small claims and other non-criminal matters) is suspended.
• All non-emergent matters will be handled by phone at first.
• All non-emergent in person meetings will be conducted outdoors if possible.

These are all temporary measures intended to slow the spread of illness among my staff so I can avoid having to implement more drastic measures. My command staff and I will be reevaluating these on a daily basis and will update you all as we return to normal operations over the next several weeks.

Timothy K. Carroll, Sheriff, Knox County