The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) announced an inmate from the California Institution for Men (CIM) in San Bernadino County died from what appears to be complications related to COVID-19.
This is the first reported death of an inmate at a California State Prison.
An exact cause of death has yet to be determined, according to officials.
There are 115 incarcerated persons and 89 employees who have tested positive for COVID-19 in California.
In a statement, officials said, "CDCR takes the health and safety of all those who live and work in our state prisons very seriously and will continue to work diligently to address the COVID-19 pandemic."
CDCR and CCHCS said they anticipated this spike in results due to mass testing of approximately 100 inmates in a housing unit at California State Prison, Los Angeles County. These asymptomatic cases do not represent a new outbreak, but were tested out of an abundance of caution after known exposure, according to officials.
One inmate at the California Men's Colony in San Luis Obispo County has tested positive for the novel virus.
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