An elderly North Carolina prison inmate with pre-existing conditions and a positive COVID-19 test has died, officials said.
A news release from the N.C. Department of Public Safety on Wednesday said the inmate, who was in his 80s, died at the Central Prison hospital on Tuesday.
According to the news release, the inmate tested positive for COVID-19 on Oct. 14 and was in the hospital when his condition worsened. Officials didn’t specify what the pre-existing conditions were, and cited confidentiality of offender records and the family's right to privacy in not identifying him.
The department reports the death was the third at the prison related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the 21st in the state prison system.