kstephens@altoonamirror.com
HOLLIDAYSBURG About 90 Blair County Prison inmates who previously tested negative for COVID-19 are in the process of being tested again, Warden Abbie Tate told the county prison board Thursday.
With 132 inmates having tested positive for COVID-19, the county prison remains in what Tate calls a “modified lockdown,” which restricts inmate movement within the facility as a way to keep the coronavirus from spreading.
As new COVID-19 test results come back for the inmates who previously tested negative, the prison staff will evaluate the situation and decide if more out-of-cell time can be granted, Tate said.
In the meantime, the lockdown also means the prison and the county court will need to continue to rely on computerized video connections for inmates attempting to address criminal charges in court proceedings.