Solon Jail Officials Grapple With Coronavirus

SOLON, OH — Solon police said they are trying to reduce the number of inmates in Solon Jail due to the outbreak of the new coronavirus, COVID-19. State officials have restricted access to prisons and Cuyahoga County Jail is taking steps to reduce its inmate population.

The struggle for Solon police is reducing the number of inmates, "without [doing a] disservice to victims," Lt. Jamey Hoffman told Patch. "We do issue court summons' for non-violent misdemeanors."

The scramble to protect inmate populations from the virus led Gov. Mike DeWine to seal all state prisons, blocking visitation until the pandemic passes. In Cuyahoga County, officials worked for eight straight days to reduce the inmate population by 300 prisoners, cleveland.com reported.

As of Wednesday morning, Ohio had 88 confirmed cases of COVID-19 the Ohio Department of Health announced. Twenty-six people are currently hospitalized with the virus. The youngest infected person is 2 and the oldest infected person is 91.

Ohio will see a surge of COVID-19 cases, according to Dr. Amy Acton, director of the state health department. Officials are now trying to secure protective equipment for medical professionals and hospital beds for the sick.