The Cook County sheriff’s office announced Sunday that 12 more inmates at the Cook County Jail have tested positive for coronavirus, raising the total number of confirmed cases among detainees to 101.
The triple-digit spread happened within a week. The first two cases of COVID-19 were announced Monday.
Twelve staff members have also tested positive, the sheriff’s office said.
The 101 confirmed cases of coronavirus make up nearly half of all the inmates who have been tested, the sheriff’s office said. Nine have tested negative, while 93 are still awaiting results.
The jail has already released at least 400 detainees over the last week, as Cook County judges conduct case-by-case bond reviews in an attempt to lower the jail’s population and reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
