A second prison inmate has died of COVID-19, officials with the Washington State Department of Corrections confirmed.
>>First state prison inmate dies of COVID-19
Officials said at about 7 p.m. Monday, William Bryant, 72, died at a medical facility where he was taken for treatment June 13.
Bryant was an inmate at the Coyote Ridge Corrections Center in Connell.
Corrections officials said he was serving a 68-month sentence for first-degree child molestation.
“We’ve continued to escalate our response at Coyote Ridge to help prevent the spread of this virus and protect the staff as well as the remaining individuals housed there,” said Corrections Secretary Stephen Sinclair.
The facility currently has 43 confirmed cases of COVID-19 among its staff and 110 cases among its prison population as of Wednesday, officials said.
The facility began COVID-19 testing and is working in conjunction with the Benton-Franklin Health District, Washington Department of Health and the National Guard to conduct the testing.
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