Staff Report

ROCKFORD – A Winnebago County corrections officer has tested positive for COVID-19, the sheriff’s office confirmed Friday, April 17.

The officer has been off duty since March 5 and tested positive after that date. The sheriff’s office reported that the officer has not had any contact with inmates or staff and is recovering at home.

The officer will not return to work until he has been cleared by his doctor.

As of the report, three Winnebago County detainees have been tested for COVID-19 after showing symptoms. All three tests came back negative.

New arrivals at the jail are screened for symptoms when they are booked and given masks to wear during their stay. The facility is being sanitized several times per day while guards are also wearing masks. Visitors are restricted.

Illinois has not yet reached a peak in new cases of COVID-19, but the curve is flattening, state officials reported Friday. Statewide, there are 27,575 confirmed cases of the disease, including 1,134 deaths. About 75% of the state’s cases and fatalities are in Cook County.

In Winnebago County, 163 people have tested positive. Nine have died.