COVID-19 cases rise at Dixon Correctional Center

Cases of COVID-19 are growing inside the Dixon Correctional Center.

On Friday, the Lee County Unified Leadership Group announced two cases involving staff members at the facility, as well as another case involving an inmate. That came before another inmate testing positive on Saturday, then three more on Sunday, and another on Monday.

A facility which had several staff members test positive earlier in the pandemic but no inmates suddenly had six inmates in the span of four days.

Illinois Department of Corrections public information officer Lindsey Hess said that the department is aggressive in its response to the virus.

"All staff and men and women in custody are equipped with personal protective equipment and have access to antibacterial soap, hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies," Hess said.

Dixon Correctional Center is on medical quarantine status, which means restricted movement. Hess said that if an inmate shows symptoms, that person is assumed to be high-risk and is isolated. Inmates not showing symptoms, but who have been exposed are quarantined and monitored.

According to the Department of Corrections, Dixon has had 13 staff members test positive with eight recovered. As of Monday evening, the DOC website still listed three inmates as having tested positive, though Lee County had reported twice that number.

Statewide, around 900 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19, as well as more than 500 staff members. Dixon's COVID numbers have been growing, but the facility is still not seeing as many inmates infected as others around Illinois, such as Stateville with 268 or East Moline with 150.

The outbreak in Dixon comes just weeks after an outbreak of COVID-19 at Thomson, a federal facility. At Thomson, 43 staff members have tested positive, more than any other prison in the federal Bureau of Prisons system. In addition, 45 inmates have tested positive.