The Federal Bureau of Prisons confirms an eighth inmate at the Federal Medical Center in Fort Worth has died after contracting the 2019 novel coronavirus.
The BOP confirmed that 74-year-old Charles Hanberry died Friday after fighting the disease since last month.
The BOP said Hanberry had been in custody at FMC Fort Worth since Dec. 20, 2012 and that on April 21 hospital staff said he was suffering from low oxygen saturation and shortness of breath. He tested positive for COVID-19 and was placed in isolation.
The next day, Hanberry was transported to a local hospital for treatment. His condition continued to decline and he was put on a ventilator on May 5.
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Hanberry is the third inmate to die after contracting the virus in the prison -- earlier this week the BOP announced that 56-year-old Guadalupe Ramos and 79-year-old Thomas Rogers had also recently died after being diagnosed with the disease last month.
Officials confirmed Thursday that 622 of the roughly 1,500 inmates inside FMC Fort Worth have tested positive for COVID-19. To date, eight have now died and 18 have recovered.
Tarrant County Public Health Director Vinny Taneja and a union leader confirmed to NBC 5 earlier this week that more staff members working inside the facility will be offered to be tested for the virus. The prisoners, meanwhile, are being tested by the Bureau of Prisons.
The testing of staff members was to begin on Wednesday.
