Child held in El Paso County juvenile detention center diagnosed with virus

EL PASO, Texas -- A child being held in the El Paso County Juvenile Justice Center is in medical quarantine after being diagnosed with the coronavirus.

Roger Martinez, the chief juvenile probation officer, disclosed the first known case at the youth detention facility to county commissioners on Monday.

There are currently just 18 kids being kept at the center, which has capacity for 64, so Martinez said they are able to implement social distancing.

City/County Health Authority Dr. Hector Ocaranza said all the children at the facility were under observation and if someone shows symptoms of the virus, then they will be tested.

"We know there's always possibility there's going to be exposure," Ocaranza told commissioners, saying health leaders were keeping a close eye on all the county's detention facilities.

The juvenile detention case was one of nine new virus infections reported Monday, as El Paso's total grew to 540 with nine deaths.