RIDGEVILLE, S.C. — A seventh South Carolina inmate has died from complications from the coronavirus, according to the state prisons agency.
The South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) said the 58-year-old inmate, who had several underlying medical conditions, died at Lieber Correctional Institution and Reentry Center on Monday.
When the inmate was admitted to the temporary reception and evaluation center at Lieber on June 23, officials say he was sick with a fever and cough, among other symptoms consistent with his other illnesses. An initial COVID-19 test showed negative results, but a retest later showed he was positive. He was the first inmate at Lieber to test positive.
As of Monday, officials said 13 inmates and 13 staff members at Lieber have tested positive for COVID-19.
The agency said so far of the 16,802 offenders, 639 have tested positive for the coronavirus systemwide. Of those, 155 have recovered and 484 are active cases. There are 114 active staff cases.
The agency said it is working closely with the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control to ensure proper guidelines and protocols are being followed to safely manage staff and offenders.
All new arrivals automatically are put in quarantine for 14 days, according to officials, and SCDC has suspended receiving any new inmates from county facilities through July 31.
