When San Joaquin County Sheriff Pat Withrow began to feel cold-like symptoms back at the end of June, he made an appointment and got himself tested for the COVID-19 virus.

Eight days later, Withrow – the top law enforcement official in San Joaquin County – found out that he was one of the 6,988 people that have tested positive.

On Monday, Withrow made the disclosure during his monthly address to the public and stressed that he has since recovered from the virus and is back to work helping run the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office – which, to date, still has not had a positive coronavirus case inside of the San Joaquin County Jail.

“Luckily here at our department we’ve all been wearing our masks and social distancing like we’re supposed to, but I still had to make a list of everybody that I had contact with and the health department is helping out with that,” Withrow said during the nearly 5 minute address. “I’m fine. My symptoms went away a week ago and I’m very fortunate – thank God – that it didn’t progress because in some families it has gotten very serious.”

As the pandemic began to take hold in San Joaquin County and the State of California began issuing directives to local authorities that culminated in the emergency implementation of a zero bail system to keep the number of incarcerated people low, Withrow was vocal about his opposition to the move – citing safety concerns and the fact that his agency has not had a single positive COVID-19 case while somebody was in-custody at the jail facility itself.

The reason for his opposition, Withrow argued, was that there would more of a chance that staff would contract the virus with a revolving door policy rather than keeping people in custody until they appeared in court to answer to the charges against them.

While he’s on the mend and back in the office to help run the day-to-day operations of the county’s largest law enforcement agency, in the address Withrow urges anybody who may be feeling ill to do what they have to do to protect themselves and their families and urges people to get tested for the virus.

“I was blessed – I’m past it now, and I’m able to come back to work, but please lets still vigilant,” Withrow said. “If you start not feeling well or anything like that, please get yourself tested.

“I know it’s a long line and it takes a while to get the results now but let’s make sure we take care of ourselves and our families and everyone else. In my family, so far, nobody is showing any signs so I’ve been very blessed.”