First coronavirus-related death reported within US prison population -- Federal Bureau

The US Federal Bureau of Prisons has confirmed the first coronavirus-related death among the country’s prison population after a 49-year-old man passed away at the Federal Correctional Institution Oakdale in the state of Louisiana after testing positive for COVID-19.

Patrick Jones, who was serving a 27-year sentence for drug offences, died on Saturday after being transported to a medical facility on March 19, reported Sputnik news agency.

“On Saturday, March 28, 2020, Mr. Jones, who had long-term, pre-existing medical conditions which the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) lists as risk factors for developing more severe COVID-19 disease, was pronounced dead by hospital staff,” a press release read.

A total of 14 inmates and 13 prison staff members in the US have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the outbreak. Five of the cases among the inmate population were recorded at the Oakdale facility, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons website.

According to the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center, there have been more than 122,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States and over 2,000 deaths from the disease.