HOLLIDAYSBURG — The Blair County Prison is quarantining inmates in four housing units for 10 days, hoping that restricted access helps end the facility’s recent outbreak of COVID-19 cases.

So far this month, 10 inmates have tested positive for the virus, Warden Abbie Tate told the prison board on Thursday.

She also reported that three prison staff members are off work because of COVID-19.

When dealing with prior COVID-19 outbreaks, Tate said the prison found the 10-day quarantine to be effective in restricting the spread of the virus within the facility.

“That works best for us, and it has worked in the past,” Tate said.

When under quarantine, currently applicable to the prison’s H, J, RHU and E blocks, access to and movement within the unit is restricted and visitation is halted.

Inmates who want to speak with their defense attorneys have to do so by telephone.

“We’ve been doing a lot of phone calls,” Tate said.

The warden also said Thursday the prison’s F block, which was the first to be subject to quarantine when COVID-19 cases surfaced this month, is no longer under quarantine.

The prison’s outbreak affected county court operations this week.

On Monday, a few inmates from a quarantine housing area weren’t transported to the courthouse for a review of pending criminal cases. Their reviews were to be rescheduled.

In court Thursday, President Judge Elizabeth Doyle attempted to rely on a video transmission from the prison to converse with an inmate from a quarantined area whose case was up for review in court. But the audio connection was flawed, so even though the inmate appeared to move closer to a microphone, he couldn’t be heard as he appeared to be speaking.

With no identifiable resolution to the audio problem, the judge ended the connection and advised defense attorneys that they needed to contact the affected inmates and explain what had happened.

Doyle then moved on to reviewing criminal cases of inmates who were transported to the courtroom and to non-incarcerated individuals facing criminal charges.

The state Department of Health has identified a recent increase in COVID-19 cases in Blair County, based on information reported through Wednesday.

The department’s data showed county residents reporting an average of 20 new cases per day. That was identified as a 35% increase in the last two weeks.

Information provided to the county prison board showed the facility is currently housing an average of 311 inmates. Between June 13 and July 15, the prison’s highest population was 318 and its lowest was 304.

Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.