Inmate at Washington prison dies of coronavirus

TUMWATER, Wash. (AP) — A prisoner at the Stafford Creek Corrections Center near Aberdeen, Washington, died of COVID-19 on Thursday.

The prisoner died at an area health care facility, and it is the first COVID-19-related death for an inmate at Stafford Creek, KIRO-TV reported.

Department of Corrections officials said due to the rising number of cases, the facility has restricted movement to limit any risk to exposure of the virus. The facility continues to practice COVID-19 screening, testing and infection control to prevent the spread of the virus, officials said.

It is the fourth death of an inmate related to COVID-19 in the state. A state corrections officer has also died of COVID-19.

The death comes a day after the families of those behind bars protested outside the state capitol, asking for more inmates to be released in order to reduce the chances they would contract the virus.