Courtesy Image An illustration of the coronavirus provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

ALPENA — Few Alpena County Jail inmates appeared in person for court hearings on Monday because of an outbreak of COVID-19 at the jail, Alpena County Sheriff Erik Smith confirmed.

Smith would not share numbers of people infected at the jail, citing safety concerns, but did confirm that both inmates and jail staff have tested positive for the sickness.

Most inmates scheduled for court hearings during the 26th Circuit Court hearing day appeared virtually from the jail’s videoconferencing rooms designed for that purpose.

The jail has returned to protocols similar to those used during COVID-19 surges, including isolating sick people, testing, monitoring for symptoms, cleaning, and using personal protective equipment throughout the facility, Smith said.

The jail has adequate healthy staff to keep the jail running, Smith said.