Pinellas jail locked down due to coronavirus outbreak

A coronavirus outbreak has forced the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office to extend a lockdown at its jail.

A spokeswoman said about 40 inmates had tested positive for the virus as of Thursday.

The lockdown began in May and has been extended to June 20th.

While the jail is locked down, the movement of inmates is restricted and all programs are canceled, including group classes. Also, only employees are allowed to enter the jail, so meetings with attorneys and visitors must take place by video.

Florida has seen a steady increase in coronavirus cases over the past few weeks with its seven-day average now above 11,000 cases. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that hospitalizations have also climbed to more than 3,100.

Copyright 2022 WUSF Public Media - WUSF 89.7. To see more, visit WUSF Public Media - WUSF 89.7.