UMATILLA – Two inmates at the Two Rivers Correctional Institution in Umatilla died last week after a positive test for COVID-19, according to the Oregon Department of Corrections.
Four people have died since the beginning of January in the latest increase in cases, the Oregon Department of Corrections said.
On Wednesday, state data shows that 101 inmates and 24 members of the Two Rivers team tested positive for COVID-19 last week, the East Oregonian reported.
The total number of active prison cases among inmates has also risen to 258, according to state data on January 13.
This is the peak among Oregon prisons, with the second largest coming from the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem, which reportedly has 128 active cases among inmates.
Two Rivers has reported more cases of COVID-19 among adults in custody than any other prison in Oregon since the pandemic began, with a total of 589, according to state data. Among employees, 107 had a positive test, the third largest in the state.
The first inmate at Two Rivers who died this week after a positive test was a 70- to 80-year-old man who died at a local hospital on January 10, the Corrections Department said.
The second inmate who died this week after the positive test was a man between 65 and 75 years old. He died at a local hospital on Thursday, according to a new release from the agency.
– The Associated Press