The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said Friday afternoon that it was canceling jail visitation, and the county’s Juvenile Justice Center closed its courts and office wing in an effort to limit the coronavirus outbreak.

The closures come as law enforcement agencies grapple with trying to provide basic emergency services and watch over jailed populations while limiting the spread of COVID-19, a disease that has spread rapidly across the globe and sickened dozens across Texas.

“Jails are always vulnerable to different outbreaks. COVID-19 isn’t any different,” Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said. “We want to minimize negative impacts as much as possible.”

Gonzalez said jails make for particularly dangerous environments for disease transmission because of the high number of inmates living in close proximity, many of whom are sicker then the general public or who have upper respiratory diseases. He said the jail — with a population of more than 8,900 — currently holds about 600 inmates over the age of 56. They are more susceptible to the impacts of the respiratory virus.

The end to visitation comes as the sheriff’s office has already beefed up cleaning of common areas and kitchen areas, obtained test kits to screen inmates in-house, and set aside several quarantine tanks to house potentially infected inmates.

The sheriff said he was trying to find other ways to reduce the jail’s population and arrests, including working with judges to release nonviolent offenders currently in jail. Deputies encountering suspects in the field may end up filing arrest warrants that could be executed in the future, he said.

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But Gonzalez said he feared that his employees and the inmates they watch over would nevertheless end up contracting the virus.

“We are trying to work on limiting as many contacts as we can,” he said. “We can try as much prevention as possible in a physical space, but at some point you do have to interact with people.”

Also on Friday, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered state agencies to restrict visitation at jails, prisons and youth lockups.

Brandon Wood, executive director of the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, said he was issuing guidance Friday to local jail administrators that they will no longer be issued notices of noncompliance for not offering visitation.

“As everyone recognizes, it’s a congregate setting and the challenges are somewhat unique because of the need for security staff and close contact these individuals (live in),” he said.

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The Texas Department of Criminal Justice posted a statement to Twitter saying it would suspend visitation until further notice.

“While we understand the value and significance of the visitation process at our facilities, we also understand the importance of providing and maintaining a safe and healthy environment for all involved,” the statement read.

The prison system doesn’t plan to halt executions, a spokesman said. The next scheduled execution — of John William Hummel — is set for Wednesday.

The Texas Juvenile Justice Department also announced that it was halting in-person visitation.

Hours earlier, Harris County announced that it was shuttering parts of its juvenile justice center after an employee now under quarantine as a suspected coronavirus case came to work Thursday, Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen said.

Rosen cautioned that the employee has not been confirmed as having contracted the illness.

“In an abundance of caution and trying to protect everybody — including employees and the public — the county judge and county engineer have ordered us to close that building,” he said.

About 250 to 300 juveniles occupy the building at any given time, he said.

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The move shook parents hoping to see their children, such as Aurelia Ray of Houston. Her daughter, who is 15, has chronic asthma, and Ray said she wanted to bring her an inhaler.

“She’s been intubated twice,” she said. “I don’t want my daughter up there in a bunk.”

Her daughter’s lawyer told her to meet there today, for court. But now it was unclear when she’d get to see her daughter, and she didn’t know who to turn to. Calls to probation officers went unanswered.

“I’m just worried about her asthma,” Ray said. “I came here and I was appalled when I saw these signs here. My daughter needs her medication.”

The JJC’s closure had other ramifications as well, particularly for employees from other departments who had visited the building.

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Officials at the District Attorney’s Office warned prosecutors who might have gone to the JJC to work from home.

“The JJC has been shut down and no one from our office is allowed to enter until further notice,” Jim Leitner, intake division chief of the District Attorney’s Office, wrote in an email to staff. He ordered those who might have been working at the JJC not to report to work.

“Just stay home tomorrow and await further instructions,” he wrote.