KANKAKEE – Local authorities are reporting Tuesday afternoon medical staff is on hand working ‘vigorously’ to treat multiple detainees at the Jerome Combs Detention Center after several detainees began displaying symptoms of the pandemic.
No word was given of how many detainees are currently infected.
Sheriff Mike Downey says they’ve been ‘through this process before’ after confirming the County’s downtown detention facility dealt with the disease in October.
“Only one particular housing unit has been affected at this point,” said Sheriff Downey in a statement Tuesday. “Thankfully, we are in possession of the Abbott Rapid Test that allows us to verify whether or not a detainee is, in fact, positive with the Coronavirus. We have been through this process before when several detainees at our downtown detention facility contracted COVID-19 back in October. Those testing positive have been quarantined from the remaining population and are being closely monitored by medical staff.”
The Sheriff’s Department reports PPE is on hand while officers work with the Kankakee County Health Department to adhere to CDC guidelines related to testing, tracing, quarantining and treating as the situation develops.
