BRIDGETON — An inmate at a South Jersey prison has died from COVID-19, according to state officials.
The state Department of Corrections dashboard, which shows cases in facilities throughout New Jersey, was updated to show the fatality at South Woods State Prison in Bridgeton.
Asked for the identity of the inmate and details of their incarceration, Matthew Schuman, spokesman for the DOC, said that due to medical privacy reasons, he could not disclose a specific individual’s personal information.
There are three DOC facilities in South Jersey, all in Cumberland County. In addition to South Woods, they include Southern State Correctional Facility and Bayside State Prison, both in Maurice River Township.
So far, six employees and seven inmates at South Woods have tested positive for the new coronavirus. Southern State has reported cases in 42 employees and 12 inmates, and Bayside has reported cases in one employee and two inmates. No fatalities have been reported at Southern State or Bayside.
There have been 29 deaths attributed to the new coronavirus throughout 16 state prison facilities, according to the DOC.
As of Monday, 184 inmates have been tested for the new coronavirus, according to the DOC. There have been 145 positives, 17 negatives and 22 pending.
Earlier this month, Gov. Phil Murphy signed an executive order allowing some state prison inmates to be released in an effort to stem cases in state facilities, but it is unclear how many inmates will qualify.
