UTAH, Nov. 16, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) –A third death from COVID-19 has been reported by the Utah Department of Corrections.
In a news release issued Monday, UDOC said the individual was a 50-year-old inmate who was COVID-19 positive and was hospitalized at the time of his death on the night of Saturday, Nov. 14. He had been transported to the hospital for escalated treatment on Oct. 12.
Before he was hospitalized, the individual was receiving treatment at the Wasatch Facility’s infirmary and prior to that was housed at the Wasatch Facility in A-Block, where he was one of the first to test positive for COVID-19, the news release says.
The family of the individual has been notified.
“While it is believed his death was COVID-related, per protocol the cause of death will be determined by the medical examiner,” the news release says.
“I would like to express condolences to those who have lost incarcerated loved ones, as well as so many others in Utah who have lost loved ones due to this pandemic,” Mike Haddon, executive director for the Utah Department of Corrections, said in the news release.
“As a State, we must all continue to pull together to combat the spread of COVID-19, including wearing our face coverings, social distancing and limiting contact with those outside our households,” Haddon said.
There are currently 684 active cases of COVID-19 between the Utah State Prison in Draper and the Central Utah Correctional Facility in Gunnison, the release says.
According to the news release, outbreaks are present in Oquirrh 5, Promontory, Lone Peak, Wasatch (Dog-Block), Hickory, and Gale, and 344 incarcerated individuals have been medically designated as recovered.
Utah State Prison in Draper and the Central Utah Correctional Facility in Gunnison both are on a modified lockdown, “meaning out-of-cell time may be greatly limited in areas most impacted by the outbreaks,” the release states.
“The Department continues to collaborate closely with state and local health officials on movement and testing, which includes separating negative cases from positive cases,” it says.
A full update can be found on the UDOC webpage by clicking here.
