63 COVID Cases Linked To McHenry Co. Jail Outbreak

MCHENRY COUNTY, IL — The McHenry County Correctional Facility remains on lockdown as employees and inmates continue to test positive for COVID-19.

As of Friday, 50 inmates, 11 officers and three civilian personnel have tested positive for the virus, Kevin Byrnes, public information officer for the McHenry County Sheriff's Office, told Patch in an email response.

The sheriff''s office is following Centers for Disease Control guidelines and the facility will remain on lockdown until further notice, Byrnes said Friday. This means there will be no visitation, increased Covid-19 testing of inmates and staff, continued use of PPE and all programs will remain cancelled.

In addition, in-person court appearances have been moved to remote unless in-person is deemed necessary by the court.

This is the second time there's been an outbreak at the jail since the beginning of the pandemic, Byrnes said.