Pender County inmate with COVID-19 dies at hospital

BURGAW, NC (WWAY) – An inmate who was incarcerated at the Pender Correctional Institution in Burgaw and tested positive for COVID-19 died Tuesday.

The inmate was one of four offenders at the prison who recently tested positive for the Coronavirus.

According to a spokeswoman for Pender County, the four inmates were being monitored and isolated from the rest of the prison population.

Due to the one inmate’s worsening condition, he was transported to New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington where he died Tuesday.

According to a news release from the NC Department of Public Safety, the prisoner died ‘as a result of pre-existing conditions complicated by COVID-19.’

This is the first coronavirus related death of an individual in custody at a North Carolina state prison, the release said.

“Any death is a tragedy, and we must continue our efforts to do all we can to try and flatten the curve of COVID-19 in Prisons,” said Todd Ishee, NC DPS Commissioner of Prisons. “The health and safety of the staff and the men and women in our custody is of paramount importance.”

The offender exhibited symptoms of a viral infection on April 8. He was promptly isolated from the population, in keeping with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the NC Department of Health and Human Services, and tested for COVID-19.

The test came back positive on April 10. NCDPS said despite constant medical attention, he was hospitalized on April 13. His condition worsened, and the offender died Tuesday at New Hanover Regional Medical Center.

The offender was a male in his late fifties and had underlying health conditions. Given his family’s right to privacy and the confidentiality of prison offender records, the Department of Public Safety will not further identify the individual.

In a statement released Tuesday, Pender County Health and Human Services Director Carolyn Moser said Pender Correctional Institution and the North Carolina Division of Prison facility were taking steps to control the spread of the illness at the prison.

“The prison medical staff is proactive and collaborating with the health department’s communicable disease staff,” Moser said.

Some of actions the prison is taking include a moratorium on accepting offenders from county jails, suspension of visitation and offender outside work assignments, medical screenings for all staff entering the prison, reducing offender interactions, and providing additional personal protective equipment to staff.

There have been 9 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Pender County and this is the first reported death in the county.