An employee at the Allegheny County Jail has tested positive for COVID-19, officials from the jail announced Friday. Officials said the employee did not provide direct care to inmates at the jail and has not been at work since the afternoon of Thursday, March 19.Allegheny County officials said that at this time, there are no positive cases of COVID-19 among direct-contact employees or inmates and all individuals with access to the facility are being strictly monitored for signs and symptoms of the virus. The jail continues to follow the guidance provided by the Allegheny County Health Department as it relates to the safety of employees and inmates during the COVID-19 pandemic. Contact tracing has been completed and impacted colleagues of the employee are being contacted with instructions for self-quarantine. Through an ongoing collaborative effort that includes the Judges, Court Administration, the Allegheny County Jail, the Public Defender, the District Attorney’s Office, Adult Probation, Pretrial Services, and the Private Bar, 545 inmates were approved by the courts for release and physically discharged by the jail as of 3:30 p.m. Friday. As is anticipated with community spread, there is an expectation that COVID-19 will soon impact not only county facilities and departments, but the entire region. For communication purposes, the county will make public notifications related to county facilities and departments when the positive cases impact a greater population than its employees.

An employee at the Allegheny County Jail has tested positive for COVID-19, officials from the jail announced Friday.

Officials said the employee did not provide direct care to inmates at the jail and has not been at work since the afternoon of Thursday, March 19.


Allegheny County officials said that at this time, there are no positive cases of COVID-19 among direct-contact employees or inmates and all individuals with access to the facility are being strictly monitored for signs and symptoms of the virus.

The jail continues to follow the guidance provided by the Allegheny County Health Department as it relates to the safety of employees and inmates during the COVID-19 pandemic. Contact tracing has been completed and impacted colleagues of the employee are being contacted with instructions for self-quarantine.

Through an ongoing collaborative effort that includes the Judges, Court Administration, the Allegheny County Jail, the Public Defender, the District Attorney’s Office, Adult Probation, Pretrial Services, and the Private Bar, 545 inmates were approved by the courts for release and physically discharged by the jail as of 3:30 p.m. Friday.

As is anticipated with community spread, there is an expectation that COVID-19 will soon impact not only county facilities and departments, but the entire region. For communication purposes, the county will make public notifications related to county facilities and departments when the positive cases impact a greater population than its employees.