Amid heightened alarm over the novel coronavirus pandemic, Fulton County Sheriff Ted Jackson announced Monday that an inmate in the jail has tested positive for COVID-19.

The man is now hospitalized, according to a statement issued by Public Affairs Officer Tracy Flanagan. He is in his 30s and has been undergoing treatment for a chronic illness that may have rendered him more susceptible to the virus, she said.

His former roommate is now in isolation, Flanagan said. The jail staff is retracing his movements to find anyone who came in contact with him before the diagnosis, she also said, adding that other inmates in the area have not shown signs of the virus and are on lockdown at this time for their own safety.