NC inmate dies after testing positive for COVID-19, officials say

A man incarcerated at a North Carolina prison has died after testing positive for COVID-19, according to the N.C. Department of Public Safety.

It was the first COVID death in the state prison system since May.

The man, whom DPS did not identify, was an inmate in his late 70s at Greene Correctional Institute in the eastern part of the state.

He tested positive for the virus on Dec. 21 and was hospitalized three days later, officials said. He died on Saturday.

DPS said he was not vaccinated against COVID-19 and had pre-existing medical conditions.

“We are working hard in our ongoing efforts to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 in our prisons. The health and safety of the staff and the offenders is our top priority,” said Todd Ishee, Commissioner of Prisons, in a news release. “We strongly encourage all offenders to elect to be vaccinated and boosted. It’s very important.”

Greene Correctional Institute is a minimum security prison for men in Maury, which holds up to 616 inmates.

There were seven active cases of COVID-19 at the facility after 181 people previously tested positive, according to DPS data.

Vaccinated inmates

As of last month, 21,770 of the state’s inmates were fully vaccinated, the state reported. In January, there were 29,212 people incarcerated in N.C. prisons.

At least 55 people held in N.C. prisons have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic began, including at least two at Green Correctional Institute, according to state data.

More than 5,700 inmates have received a booster shot, said John Bull, a DPS spokesperson. That’s about 33% of those who are eligible, meaning it’s been six or more months since they became fully vaccinated, he said.

Bull said vaccines and booster shots are voluntary in the prison system, adding DPS has held town halls, small-group discussions, mass vaccination clinics and distributed educational materials to encourage vaccination.

An initial review of the recent death found COVID-19 “was likely the cause or at least a contributing factor,” DPS said in the news release.

The official cause of death will be determined by the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

This story was originally published January 3, 2022 at 3:56 PM.