Another inmate dies after testing positive for COVID-19 at an SC prison, officials say
For the second day in a row, an inmate at a South Carolina prison died after testing positive for COVID-19, the Department of Corrections said.
Martin William Duncan, an inmate at MacDougall Correctional Institution, died at a hospital Tuesday, little more than a week after he was confirmed to have the coronavirus, Department of Corrections officials said in a news release.
The 65-year-old, who SCDC said had several underlying medical conditions, was hospitalized on June 29 — a day after testing positive for the virus, according to the release.
Duncan’s death was reported a day after another inmate, 60-year-old Mark Lee Trammell, died at a hospital outside of Kirkland Correctional Institution, SCDC officials said. Trammell, who was terminally ill, was being treated at the hospital since July 2, when it was confirmed he had the coronavirus, according to SCDC.
Overall, five inmates being held at South Carolina prisons have died after testing positive for COVID-19, according to the release.
Across the 21 prisons in South Carolina operated by the Department of Corrections, there have been 346 confirmed cases of the coronavirus among inmates, according to the release. While 116 have recovered, 230 inmates are still active COVID-19 patients, officials said.
Overall, 82 of the 153 SCDC staff members who have tested positive for the coronavirus have been cleared, leaving 71 active cases among employees, according to the release.
Approximately 5,000 people work at the Department of Corrections, and there are 16,843 inmates in South Carolina prisons.
At MacDougall — an all-male, medium-security prison outside of Charleston — 59 inmates and eight staff members have been confirmed to have the coronavirus, officials said. Only Kirkland and Tyger River Correctional Institution have more confirmed cases of inmates testing positive for COVID-19.
No South Carolina prison has been affected by the coronavirus as much as Tyger River in Enoree. As of Tuesday night, 129 inmates at the Tyger River had been diagnosed with COVID-19, and only one has recovered, officials said. Last week, 58-year-old Tyger River inmate Stanley Smith died after being hospitalized with coronavirus-related symptoms.
SCDC said it’s working closely with the Department of Health and Environmental Control “to ensure proper guidelines and protocols are being followed to safely manage our staff and offenders,” according to the release.
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