COVID symptoms linked to the omicron variant have been described as “extremely mild” by doctors in South Africa who first raised the alarm over the new strain.
Officials at the Lake County Jail in northern Illinois are implementing new safety restrictions after more than a dozen inmates and seven correctional officers tested positive for COVID-19 in recent days.
According to a press release, four inmates and three officers tested positive for the virus over the Thanksgiving weekend.
Following that revelation, additional testing revealed that 10 more inmates tested positive for the virus, along with four additional guards at the facility.
All individuals who tested positive for the virus are experiencing only mild symptoms at this time, and no hospitalizations have been reported, according to officials.
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As a result of the positive tests, officials announced that mitigation procedures are being put in place to contain the outbreak. Inmates will not be allowed to exit their assigned pods for the time being, and all “inmate programming” has been canceled until further notice.
Any inmate being transported within the facility will be required to wear an N-95 mask, and inmates from different housing units will not be permitted to come in contact with one another.
Finally, all professional visits will only occur in pod visiting booths instead of in face-to-face settings, officials said.
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Officials say all inmates are offered opportunities to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, and more than 280 inmates have been given the treatment. All new inmates at the facility are tested for COVID upon arrival, and are placed on a 10-day hold prior to being assigned to pods.
