More than 400 COVID-19 cases in the US are linked to one jail in Chicago, according to reports.
The Cook County Jail has turned into the largest known source of infections in the US outside of medical facilities.
The Cook County Sheriff’s office confirmed that 251 detainees and 150 staff members have tested positive of coronavirus.
Of the detainees infected in the outbreak, 22 are hospitalized for treatment and 31 others have been moved to a recovery facility.
One detainee has died of ‘apparent’ complications of COVID-19, sheriff’s officials said, but the autopsy report is awaited.
The jail has created a quarantine ‘bootcamp’ to keep detainees that are infected separate from the rest of the jail population.
The jail complex currently houses about 4,700 detainees according to the sheriff’s office.
Jail officials have previously said they planned to screen and release nonviolent pretrial defendants.