Allegheny County Jail inmate who tested positive for covid-19 dies
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A covid-19-positive inmate in the Allegheny County Jail died Sunday, Warden Orlando Harper said.
It’s the first covid-related death for the facility.
The name of the inmate wasn’t released, but he was a 48-year-old man who had been hospitalized since late August. He died Sunday at a local hospital.
He wasn’t vaccinated against covid-19 and had additional medical risk factors, according to a news release.
In a statement, Harper said he was “deeply saddened” by the loss and expressed his deepest sympathies to the inmate’s family and friends.
“Our hearts go out to them during this difficult time,” Harper said. “This pandemic has impacted all of our lives in severe and devastating ways, and that includes those who we care for at this facility and those who provide care.”
The death brings the total covid-19 deaths in Allegheny County to 2,095 since March 2020.
In Pennsylvania, there have been 147 inmates who have died from covid-19 and 141 were inmates at state correctional institutions.
Allegheny County Jail inmates aren’t required to be vaccinated, but they can receive the vaccination while incarcerated, the county said.
The jail population of 1,699 has a 51% vaccination rate among inmates.
A total of 1,400 inmates have been vaccinated and 815 inmates in the current jail population are fully vaccinated, with 52 partially vaccinated.
“For over a year and a half, we have all worked through difficult and demanding circumstances to continue to respond to the challenges of covid and have managed that with no loss of life until now,” Harper said.