Six prison inmates are still on the loose in Washington state after 14 escaped from prison.

The escape happened at around 7pm on Monday evening, with the prisoners using a table to break through a fire door and leave the facility.

Yakima County Sheriff Robert Udell posted a video on Facebook explaining the situation to those in the area, while referencing the measures in place to help tackle coronavirus.

“They decided they were going to break down the door and leave,” he said. “Despite the governor’s shelter-in-place or stay-at-home order, apparently they didn’t want to do that so they are out and about.”

The sheriff added that “we need your help to get these guys back in custody. Because we don’t know what they’re going to be doing when we haven’t got eyes on them.”

“Help us get these back in the Yakima County Jail, where they’ll be safe.”

The city of Yakima Facebook page posted a warning on its feed, informing residents of the situation on Monday evening.

“ALERT! Several prisoners have escaped from the Yakima County Jail in Downtown Yakima. Residents in the northeast and southeast areas of Yakima should call 9-1-1 to report any suspicious activity. Those residents should also stay indoors,” it read.

On Monday, Washington governor Jay Inslee issued a stay-at-home order, lasting for at least two weeks.

Mr Inslee said to residents in a video on Facebook that “the less time you spend out in public, the more lives we can save”, before adding that “this order is enforceable by law and can be enforced”.

According to a tracking project hosted by Johns Hopkins University, the death toll in Washington related to Covid-19 has reached at least 87.

The sheriff’s office released the names of the six prisoners in a facebook post, along with pictures of them.

It listed them as: 34-year-old Tyrone Adam Mulvaney from Moses Lake, WA, 26-year-old Andrew Derrick Wolfley from Union Gap, WA, 27-year-old Neftali Serrano from Yakima, WA, 31-year-old Fernando Gustavo Casteneda-Sandoval from Yakima, WA, 28-year-old Hugo Alejandro Amezcua-Hernandez from Yakima, WA, 27-year-old Miguel Angel Chavez-Amezcua from Moses Lake, WA.