Harrisburg, PA – Department of Corrections (DOC) and SCI Muncy officials report the first death of an inmate on January 25 with COVID-19.
The 62-year-old inmate, whose name will not be provided, was serving a 10- to 40-year sentence for burglary. She had underlying medical conditions and was taken to the hospital on Jan. 20, 2021. She tested positive for COVID-19 while at the hospital. She had been at SCI Muncy since April 2013.
"We are experiencing the same thing that our counties are experiencing, and we are following very strict procedures to mitigate the virus' impact on our state prisons," Corrections Secretary John Wetzel said. "I've directed our staff to act aggressively and quickly when inmates report influenza-like illnesses, and that includes isolating and quarantining inmates, locking down units or entire prisons as needed, conducting regular cleanings and even 72-hour deep cleanings in order to protect staff and inmates."
The rate of state prison inmate deaths with COVID is lower than Pennsylvania long term care facilities. A Council on Criminal Justice December 2020 report shows PA DOC as being one of six states that has fewer deaths than expected given statewide rates: https://cdn.ymaws.com/counciloncj.org/resource/resmgr/covid_commission/COVID-19_in_State_and_Federa.pdf.
SCI Muncy reports 15 current active inmate cases and 14 current active staff cases. Inmates who have tested positive are in isolation at the prison or local hospitals, depending on the level of medical care required. Employees who have tested positive must isolate at their homes and cannot return to work until they provide a doctor's note clearing them to return.
MEDIA CONTACT: Maria A. Bivens, mabivens@pa.gov
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