Mobile County Sheriff Sam Cochran said 10 inmates in the Metro Jail have tested positive for COVID-19, while he is awaiting test results on three others.

Cochran said six other inmates have signs of the virus but don’t meet the protocol for testing.

Ten correctional officers have tested positive and one of those has recovered and returned to work, the sheriff said.

Cochran said the 19 inmates who are sick or who are believed to be infected with the virus are in some form of isolation and are receiving treatment from doctors, nurses and nurse practitioners.

“They’re separated from all the other inmates and I think they’re mostly separated from each other as best we can,” Cochran said.

One inmate who had COVID-19 was transferred to a hospital and was later released to go home, the sheriff said. Another was temporarily transferred to a hospital but was returned to the jail where treatment continues, Cochran said.

A minimum security dorm at the jail that normally can hold 325 inmates has been modified to put more space between inmates, the sheriff said.

“In the jail business, you just make things happen. There’s no other way of saying it. Our medical unit is full of people,” Cochran said.

The jail held about 1,100 inmates today, about 300 fewer that before the pandemic started, according to Cochran. He said there are several reasons for that, including fewer arrests and efforts to release some inmates because of the pandemic.

Related: Amid COVID-19 pandemic, Mobile Metro Jail releases a third of inmates.

“Some of the people that were serving time, some of their sentences were cut shorter,” Cochran said. "We also maintain city inmates for the city of Mobile. Anybody that was age 60 and above on a misdemeanor was allowed to sign their own bonds unless it was either domestic violence or DUI.

“A lot of those got out. And then, quite frankly, a number of felons got out if they were either sick or the attorneys filed something and the judges were a little more lenient on letting them out on bonds because of the virus.”

Cochran said he believes crime overall is down. He said domestic violence calls are down and speculated that it’s because bars are closed, which mean fewer people arriving at home drunk and starting altercations.

“I don’t know of any other reason,” Cochran said. “Maybe they’re rising to the occasion. But all calls for service are down and it seems like crime overall is down. There might be a few minor categories that are up but for the most part it’s down. It may be people at home guarding their property.”

Related: 20 police, 10 firefighters quarantined in Mobile while awaiting COVID-19 test results