Another Minnesota prison inmate dies after COVID-19 diagnosis
Minnesota's prison system has lost another COVID-positive inmate.
The 64-year-old man, who had been incarcerated at Minnesota Correctional Facility-Faribault died Friday, state prison officials say.
According to a release from MN Department of Corrections, the inmate — who had recently been diagnosed with COVID-19 — was at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester at the time of his death.
“On behalf of the Department of Corrections, I want to extend my condolences to the family and friends of this man,” Commissioner Paul Schnell said in a statement.
"We are continuing our aggressive testing and spread mitigation efforts as we closely monitor the health status and medical needs of those who contract this virus."
This comes just five days after the death of an inmate at the state correctional facility in Rush City, and marks at least six deaths in Minnesota's prison so far.
On Wednesday, a resident at the Minnesota Sex Offender Program in Moose Lake died of the virus, marking the program's first COVID fatality.
In response to these deaths, the Twin Cities Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee will hold a press conference Dec. 8 to shine light on what it calls a "harsh reality" prisoners are facing as COVID-19 has easily spread through Minnesota's correctional facilities.
The group is urging Gov. Tim Walz to declare a state of emergency in Minnesota prisons that would allow some inmates to be released.
