North Carolina Reports 1st Death Of State Prisoner

Officials on Wednesday announced the first COVID-19-related death of an offender inside North Carolina's state prison system, reinforcing the dangers of the virus within a population behind bars in which hundreds have tested positive.

The Division of Prisons said a prisoner at the medium-security Pender Correctional institution in Burgaw died at an unnamed hospital on Tuesday, nearly two weeks after he started showing viral symptoms. A positive test came back a few days later and he was hospitalized on April 13, a division release said.

The agency wouldn't release the prisoner's name, citing family privacy and the confidentiality of prison records, but did say the offender was in his late 50s and had preexisting conditions complicated by the new coronavirus.

It wasn't immediately clear whether the death is among the 242 overall COVID-19 deaths that had been reported by state health officials as of Wednesday morning. That's an increase of more than 20 compared to Tuesday. More than 7,200 positive cases have been recorded since the outbreak, and about 430 people are now hospitalized.

At least nine state prisons have reported positive COVID-19 cases among those serving sentences, according to division data. Most of those cases are at the dormitory-style Neuse Correctional Institution in Goldsboro, where more than 440 of the 725 prisoners have tested positive.

Last week, about 250 Neuse prisoners had tested positive. Almost all of the offenders testing positive there are asymptomatic. In an unusual move, the prison system decided to test all Neuse prisoners after a couple of them were diagnosed a few weeks ago. For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms. For some, it can cause severe illness or even death.

Prison leaders have extended into May a suspension of visitations and outside work assignments, as well as the receipt of inmates from county jails. More soap and dozens of disinfectant machines also have been sent to prisons. Some nonviolent offenders are being allowed to leave prison early and complete their sentence under community supervision.

The outbreak has led to North Carolina deaths within the federal prison system. The U.S. Bureau of Prisons said five prisoners with COVID-19 at its medium-security prison in Butner have died.

North Carolina and local health officials have intensified their efforts to control outbreaks in nursing homes and long-term care facilities, as well as at food processing facilities. At least 87 deaths are associated with nursing home cases, state health officials said.

Five food processing plants are experiencing multiple cases of COVID-19 among employees, according to officials.

A spokeswoman for Delaware-based poultry company Mountaire Farms confirmed on Wednesday that workers at their Siler City and Lumber Bridge operations have tested positive but declined to say how many were affected at each. The company has stepped up its cleaning processes and requires employees to wear face masks and get their temperatures taken, spokeswoman Catherine Bassett said. All hourly employees also have received pay raises, she added.

For the most up-to-date information on coronavirus in North Carolina, visit our Live Updates blog here. WFDD wants to hear your stories — connect with us and let us know what you're experiencing.