Outbreak of COVID-19 and interventions in a large jail - Cook County, IL, United States, 2020

Background: Correctional and detention facilities are disproportionately affected by COVID-19 due to shared space, contact between staff and detained persons, and movement within facilities. On March 18, 2020, Cook County Jail, one of the United States' largest, identified its first suspected case of COVID-19 in a detained person. Methods: This analysis includes SARS-CoV-2 cases confirmed by molecular detection among detained persons and Cook County Sheriff's Office staff. We examined occurrence of symptomatic cases in each building and proportions of asymptomatic detained persons testing positive, and timing of interventions including social distancing, mask use, and expanded testing and show outbreak trajectory in the jail compared to case counts in Chicago. Results: During March 1-April 30, 907 symptomatic and asymptomatic cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection were detected among detained persons (n = 628) and staff (n = 279). Among asymptomatic detained persons in quarantine, 23.6% tested positive. Programmatic activity and visitation stopped March 9, cells were converted into single occupancy beginning March 26, and universal masking was implemented for staff (April 2) and detained persons (April 13). Cases at the jail declined while cases in Chicago increased. Discussion/Conclusions: Aggressive intervention strategies coupled with widespread diagnostic testing of detained and staff populations can limit introduction and mitigate transmission of SARS-CoV-2 infection in correctional and detention facilities. Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc.

Automated summary

The study examined SARS-CoV-2 cases in Cook County Jail and Sheriff's Office staff, finding that aggressive intervention strategies coupled with widespread diagnostic testing can limit and mitigate the spread of the virus in correctional facilities. The implementation of social distancing, mask use, and expanded testing led to a decline in cases at the jail while cases in Chicago increased.