China News Service, April 9 (Xinhua), according to the Chinese website of China, on March 23, two inmates in Cook County Prison, one of the largest prisons in the United States, were quarantined after testing positive for the new coronavirus. Over the next two weeks, the virus broke out in prison, infecting more than 350 people.
According to reports, the Cook County Sheriff's Office, which is responsible for managing the prison, said on the 8th that 238 prisoners and 115 staff members tested positive for the new coronavirus. However, the prison admitted that these figures are likely to dilute the actual problem, because the vast majority of the prison ’s 4,500 inmates have not been tested.
On the 8th, about 17 infected people were taken to the hospital, and a prisoner was initially diagnosed as dying of complications caused by the new coronavirus. It is reported that the outbreak in this prison located southwest of downtown Chicago is expanding, and it seems to confirm the concerns of many health officials. They warned that overcrowded and poorly sanitary prisons in the United States may be an important source of the spread of the virus.
According to reports, several public prisons, including Cook County Prison, have released prisoners convicted of non-violent crimes.
According to data, Illinois, where Chicago is located, reported nearly 500 deaths from the new coronavirus. This is one of the highest mortality rates in the United States except New York, and most cases occur in Chicago or nearby counties.
At present, there are at least 1,324 confirmed cases of new coronavirus in the United States related to prisons around the world, including at least 32 deaths. The White House New Corona Virus Task Force said on the 7th that it was tracking the Chicago metropolitan area out of concerns about the exponential increase in cases.