The Department of Corrections and SCI Pine Grove officials reported their first death of an inmate with COVID-19.
The 38-year-old inmate died at a local hospital. He had been at SCI Pine Grove since Jan. 8, 2019 serving a 1.5 to 5 year sentence for receiving stolen property, officals reported Saturday.
“We continue our battle against this dangerous invisible enemy,” corrections secretary John Wetzel said in a release. “With fall upon us, we are experiencing a resurgence. That is why it is vital to continue our aggressive mitigation efforts. We cannot let our guard down.”
According to a recent study by the Council on Criminal Justice, Pennsylvania is one of only six states where the COVID-19 death rate in prison is lower than the state’s community coronavirus death rate.
SCI Pine Grove reports 10 active inmate cases and 8 active staff cases.
Inmates who have tested positive are in isolation at the prison or local hospitals, depending on the level of medical care required.
Employees who have tested positive must isolate at their homes and cannot return to work until they provide a doctor’s note clearing them to return, officals said.
“We are experiencing the same thing that our counties are experiencing, and we are following very strict procedures to mitigate the virus’ impact on our state prisons,” Wetzel said.
