UMATILLA, Ore. (AP) — Two inmates at Two Rivers Correctional Institution in Umatilla have died in the past week after testing positive for COVID-19, according to the Oregon Department of Corrections.
Four people have now died since the beginning of January in the latest surge in cases, the Oregon Department of Corrections said.
As of Wednesday state data shows that 101 inmates and 24 staff members at Two Rivers have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past week, the East Oregonian reported.
The prison’s total number of active cases among inmates has also climbed to 258, according to state data as of Jan. 13.
That’s the most among prisons in Oregon, with the second-highest coming from Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem, which reportedly has 128 active cases among inmates.
Two Rivers has reported more COVID-19 cases among adults in custody than any other prison in Oregon since the pandemic began, with a total of 589, according to state data. Among staff, 107 have tested positive, the third-most in the state.
The first Two Rivers inmate who died this week after testing positive was a man between 70 and 80 years old who died at a local hospital on Jan. 10, the Department of Corrections said.
The second inmate who died this week after testing positive was a man between 65 and 75. He died at a local hospital on Thursday, according to a new release from the agency.