Washington County sheriff in quarantine after son tests positive for illness

Washington County Sheriff Tim Helder is shown in this file photo.
Washington County Sheriff Tim Helder is shown in this file photo.

Washington County’s sheriff has quarantined himself after his son tested positive for coronavirus, the agency announced Saturday night.

Sheriff Tim Helder’s son came home from out of state to see the sheriff’s stepfather, who was recently placed on hospice, Helder wrote in a Facebook post. After arriving in town late Tuesday, the sheriff's son visited a relative and suspected he was coming down with a fever, the post states.

Helder said his son immediately quarantined himself, and that Helder and his wife did so the following day. The sheriff’s son was tested on Thursday and received a presumptive positive confirmation of his illness on Saturday.

Neither Helder nor his wife have developed any symptoms, but the couple plan to remain in quarantine for the next two weeks, according to the post.

He added that, apart from himself, there has been no known exposure to the sheriff’s office, to its employees or its detainees, as he hadn’t been in the office since before his son arrived in town. Helder had been caring for his stepfather and mother and was in contact with the agency’s staff by phone.

Chief Jay Cantrell and the sheriff’s office staff will continue running the agency’s day-to-day operations and keep residents informed of any updates related to the coronavirus, according to authorities.

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