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Department of Juvenile Justice says another youth tests positive

Updated  May 13, 2020 5:09am EDT
Florida
The News Service of Florida

Lawmakers concerned about juveniles

Lawmakers are demanding something be done about juveniles caught in the legal system during the pandemic. Trials have been suspended through June.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice on Tuesday said another youth in the juvenile-justice system has tested positive for COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus.

That brought the number of infected youths to seven, along with 25 infections among juvenile-justice workers. The new case involves a youth at Okeechobee Youth Development Center.

The six other juveniles who have tested positive for the virus are at Miami Youth Academy, Broward Youth Treatment Center and Miami-Dade Regional Juvenile Detention Center.

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Department of Juvenile Justice last week announced it would extend the suspension of visitations at juvenile facilities until May 15.

“DJJ continues to assess the safety of its facilities and will restore visitation with modifications to the normal procedures when it is safe to do so,” the department said in the announcement. The department first suspended visitations in March.