89 Cook County Jail Detainees Test Positive For Coronavirus

COOK COUNTY, IL — Coronavirus continues to spread inside the walls of Cook County Jail, with almost 90 detainees testing positive after displaying flu-like symptoms, the sheriff’s office said in a daily update.

A dozen Cook County Sheriff’s Department employees and 89 detainees have tested positive for the virus, with another 92 detainees waiting for test results. Nine detainees have tested negative. As of Thursday, the “behind-the-wall” population at Cook County Jail has dipped from 5,306 to 5,185.

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Since the beginning of March, when the first positive case of the coronavirus hit Illinois, the jail’s overall population has decreased by five percent, according to an analysis by Injustice Watch. Most of that change occurred this week, after a Cook County judge ordered bond reviews on a case-by-case basis for non-violent offenders and older detainees with health issues to tamp down the spread of coronavirus within the jail population.

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