Three inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 at the McHenry County jail on Thursday and several housing units are on quarantine, the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
“The Corrections Division is currently working with the McHenry County Department of Health, and are following all CDC recommendations,” the statement said.
The sheriff’s office said their policies for communicable and airborne diseases have been put into place to “mitigate the spread of COVID-19.”
The inmates who tested positive and those who may have come into contact with them are currently on quarantine protocol.
Three sections of housing units where the COVID-19 positive inmates were housed are also on precautionary quarantine protocol and contact tracing is being conducted.
“The Corrections Division has several mitigation protocols in effect to prevent this virus from spreading further into the jail’s population of roughly 300 inmates,” the sheriff’s office said.
Officials said that they have increased the cleaning of jail pods, introduced mandatory quarantine periods for new inmates who enter the jail without a negative COVID-19 test, eliminated congregate dining, and all staff and inmates are required to wear personal protective equipment.
“The Sheriff’s Office will continue to follow all COVID-19 protocols to ensure that our inmate’s and employee’s wellbeing is our top priority,” the statement added.