Del. Prison Inmate Dies With COVID, Other Chronic Conditions
December 24, 2020/
A Delaware prison inmate has died of complications of several chronic illnesses as well as COVID-19.
According to the Delaware Department of Correction, 54-year-old Jose Rivera died at Bayhealth Kent General Tuesday night. He was an inmate at James T. Vaughn Correctional Center near Smyrna. The DOC said he tested positive after receiving a rapid COVID-19 test December 5th.
Rivera was serving a sentence for strangulation and violating a no-contact order.
The Department of Correction says he is the first inmate to die of coronavirus complications in more than three-and-a-half months. The prison system has experienced a recent uptick of COVID cases as community spread has led to a surge in the Delaware community.
