Allegheny County Jail reports 3 more inmates have coronavirus

Three more Allegheny County Jail inmates have tested positive for the coronavirus, bringing its total number of cases to 27, according to county data.

Of those 27, four have recovered or been released. Court and jail officials have been working since March to identify nonviolent inmates who could be released to home confinement, as congregate living situations such as jails and prisons are particularly vulnerable to covid-19 outbreaks.

About 1,183 inmates have been released since then.

In total, 48 incarcerated individuals have been tested for the virus. As of Thursday, 1,621 inmates were still being held in the jail, up 10 from the day before.

In addition to the inmates, three jail employees also have tested positive. There are two employee tests pending. Thirty employees have tested negative for the virus.

Eleven residents have contracted the virus at Allegheny County Treatment Alternative (ACTA), a 50-bed drug and alcohol inpatient facility. Three staff members there have also tested positive for the virus.

The county’s alternative housing centers have stopped receiving new residents, and all jail visits have been suspended since early March.

Correction: An earlier version of this story indicated an employee at Renewal, a Downtown Pittsburgh halfway house, had tested positive for coronavirus. The employee tested negative.