An inmate at a federal prison in Oakdale, Louisiana, died Saturday after testing positive for Covid-19, the Federal Bureau of Prisons said today in a statement.
Patrick Jones, 49, began complaining of a persistent cough on March 19. After being evaluated by the medical staff at the prison, Jones was transported to a local hospital where he tested positive for Covid-19, said the statement.
One day later, Jones was placed on a ventilator after his condition declined.
Jones passed away Saturday at the hospital. According to the statement, he “had long-term, pre-existing medical conditions which the CDC lists as risk factors for developing more severe Covid-19 disease.”
President Trump has already directed federal prisons to increase home confinement to at-risk inmates in order to slow the spread of the virus, joining states like New York and New Jersey in the effort to avoid mass infection within prison systems.
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