PEORIA (WEEK) – A total of eight inmates at the Peoria County Jail have tested positive for COVID-19 according to Peoria County Sheriff Brian Asbell.
He said that all those who tested positive had been in custody for more than 14 days.
However, Asbell said two of the people who tested positive have tested positive since then.
One was a convicted felon completing a local sentence and will have to return at a later date to complete the sentencing requirement. The other was released before receiving the test results.
Two of the positive detainees are sentenced to IDOC, however, they remain in custody due to the state suspension of IDOC admissions.
He said they are working with the Peoria City / County Health Department and inmates’ health care staff to monitor those infected and determine the extent of additional exposures.
This occurs after two employees at the Peoria County Jail contracted the virus earlier this month. On July 10, Asbell confirmed that the employees were isolated at home for 14 days.
Asbell said they started the Covid trial last week on the inmate population due to the reported staff infection and will continue to screen all incarcerated people inside the jail.
He said they are still working through this, as there may be an impact on other County operations, such as court proceedings.
Asbell did not confirm whether the detainees were male or female.
It is unclear whether these two new confirmed cases are related to the two employees.
