TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Two employees of contractors who work with the Florida Department of Corrections have died of complications related to COVID-19, state officials confirmed on Wednesday.
“FDC has not had any deaths of employees following a positive COVID-19 test result. However, FDC has been informed that two contractor employees have passed away in South Florida following positive COVID-19 test results,” Department of Corrections spokeswoman Michelle Glady told The News Service of Florida in an email.
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Glady said the department does not “independently verify” the cause of death of vendors’ employees.
“Reporting of contractor deaths would be a decision for the contractor, in consultation with the employees’ families,” she added.
It is unknown what type of work the deceased employees did for the corrections agency, and Glady would not say when the employees died.
As COVID-19 continues to spread throughout Florida’s prison system, 482 correctional workers and 2,041 inmates have tested positive for the disease.
Twenty-four inmates have died of complications related to the disease as of Wednesday, according to the latest report from the corrections department.
“The Florida Department of Health is the reporting authority for death of FDC employees (who have contact with the inmate or offender population) or inmates incarcerated within Florida state correctional institutions (public or privately-run) following a positive COVID-19 test,” Glady said in an email.
Information about inmate and staff deaths is released weekly by the Department of Health on Wednesdays. The report issued by health officials on Wednesday did not include the two contract-employee deaths confirmed by Glady.