COVID-19 cases subside at McHenry County Jail after outbreak

McHenry County Jail operations have resumed as normal after an outbreak that infected 35 people, officials say.

The outbreak that began in late February resulted in a quarantine and isolation lockdown across all of the jail's blocks, McHenry County Sheriff's Deputy Tim Creighton said. Quarantine protocols were lifted throughout the jail as of Monday, although one inmate with an active case of the virus will remain quarantined.

During the outbreak, jail detainees scheduled to make court appearances were given continuances, or in some cases, allowed to appear by video. People in the jail now are permitted to attend court in-person, Creighton said.

Although COVID-19 cases at the jail are subsiding, staff will continue testing detainees and employees weekly throughout the outbreak status, which ends April 10, Creighton said. After April 10, the jail will continue testing detainees who exhibit symptoms.

Vaccines also have been made available to staff and detainees. That includes those who are housed at the jail on behalf of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Creighton said.

Of the 84 inmates and detainees who received their first dose of the vaccine on March 10, 39 were ICE detainees and 45 were being housed on local charges, Creighton said.

The jail's COVID-19 protocol also includes increased cleaning of jail pods, mandatory quarantine periods for new inmates who enter without a negative COVID-19 test and the use of personal protective equipment by staff and inmates, Creighton said. Congregate dining, eliminated during the outbreak, has also returned.