GOOCHLAND COUNTY, Va. -- A woman serving a nine-year sentence at the Virginia Correctional Center for Women in Goochland died Tuesday due to COVID-19.
The 49-year-old woman is the first inmate in Virginia to die from the virus.
She had asthma and Hepatitis-C, Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) officials revealed.
She tested positive and was admitted VCU Health on April 4.
Forty-four inmates (out of 30,000) and 32 department of corrections staff (out of 12,000) from around the state have tested positive for COVID-19.
The offender was serving a 9-year sentence for manufacturing methamphetamine, delivery of drugs to prison and larceny. She had an expected release date in mid-2023. For the privacy of her family and the confidentiality of her medical records, the VADOC isn’t releasing the offender’s name.
"VADOC is working closely with the Virginia Department of Health during this pandemic and following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for corrections," a VADOC spokesperson said.