By Victor Omondi
When the first case of the novel coronavirus was reported in Wuhan, most people thought the Chinese would be able to get hold of the virus and prevent it from spreading further. Little did we know it would soon turn out to be a global pandemic.
As we speak, Covid-19 has touched almost every part of the globe, and it’s shocking just how fast its spreading. While there are measures in place to control the spread, the virus is getting to place we least expect.
In Cook County, at least 134 detainees have tested positive for the virus. On Monday, the Cook County Sheriff’s office announced that 33 more people tested positive for Covid-19, bringing it 134 confirmed cases.
It’s still unclear who brought the virus into the cells, but the spread happened within a week. The first two cases of Covid-19 were re-ported on March 23. One of the two men diagnosed with the virus was a 42-year-old, who was serving out a 90-day sentence for an aggravated DUI.
The man was released last week and he’s now on self-quarantine.
However, none of the two confirmed cases brought in the virus. Even so, it’s no longer necessary to find out who brought it in as most people have been infected already.
“I didn’t bring it in,” the 42-year-old told the Chicago Sun-Times. “Once it’s in, it’s going to go crazy.”
At least nine detainees have tested negative for the virus, while 20 staff members have tested positive for the virus. The Sheriff’s office isn’t sure just how far the virus has spread, and, therefore, more detainees are to be released to prevent more people from getting infected.
So far, the jail has released more than 400 detainees over the past week. Currently, Cook County judges are conducting case-by-case bond re-views in a bid to cut down the jail’s population to reduce the spread of Covid-19.
Owing to the releases, the jail’s population has dropped to its lowest in more than decades. The population is expected to drop further in the coming days as those charged with non-violent cases are set to be released.
Illinois Department of Corrections has also stopped receiving new prisoners to prevent the virus from spreading to the inmates and guards.
