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2nd Inmate In Days Dies of Coronavirus At California Prison

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A second inmate in four days has died at California's Avenal State Prison from what appear to be complications of the coronavirus, officials said Wednesday.

The inmate died Tuesday at an outside hospital, though the exact cause of death has not yet been determined.

Another inmate from the same prison in Kings County died on Saturday and 112 inmates currently have the virus. The prison is 180 miles (290 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles.

To date, the state prison system has reported 20 COVID-19-related inmate deaths. Sixteen were at the California Institution for Men in Chino in San Bernardino County. One death each was reported at the nearby California Institution for Women and at Chuckawalla Valley State Prison in Blythe.

System-wide, there are more than 1,800 active inmate cases. More than 1,900 inmates have recovered.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms. But for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause pneumonia and death.

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