Second Nebraska prison inmate dies after coronavirus infection

An inmate in the Nebraska prison system has died after contracting the coronavirus.

The cause of death hasn’t been determined yet, according to Scott Frakes, director of the Nebraska Department of Corrections. The death will be referred to a grand jury, as is the case in all inmate deaths.

The inmate had been hospitalized for three weeks after being diagnosed with COVID-19, Frakes said. He died Sunday at a Lincoln hospital. He was in his 60s and had other underlying health problems. He had been serving time on a methamphetamine conviction out of Lancaster County. No further information on the man’s identity will be released, Frakes said.

This is the second Nebraska inmate to die after a COVID-19 diagnosis, said Laura Strimple, chief of staff in the Corrections Department.

The department said about 250 inmates have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and 218 have recovered; 178 staff members have tested positive, and 147 have recovered.