An Irish prison inmate, who is believed to have contracted Covid-19, has died.
The prisoner, who was being held in the Midlands Prison, died on Monday.
It is believed that the prisoner had been suffering from a terminal illness and had been diagnosed with Covid-19.
It comes amid a number of Covid-19 outbreaks in Irish prisons, which have left dozens of prisoners with the virus.
A spokesperson for the Irish Prison Service said: “The Irish Prison Service does not comment on individual prisoner cases.”
“However, the Irish Prison Service can confirm a death in custody in the Midlands Prison on the 15/11/2021.
“All deaths in custody are investigated by the Irish Prison Service, the Inspector of Prisons and An Garda Siochana, where circumstances warrant.
“The cause of death is determined by the Coroner office.”
Outbreaks
The Irish Prison Service is currently battling outbreaks in Cloverhill Prison, the Midlands Prison and Mountjoy Prison.
In previous waves of the virus, prisons introduced tough measures and restrictions on visits in a bid to prevent outbreaks.
In total, 59 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed across the three prisons.
“Given the current level of prevalence of the virus in the community the Irish Prison Service now faces an unprecedented challenge in continuing to keep prisoners safe from infection,” a spokesperson said.
“The service is working closely with Public Health, HSE with regard to the management of the current outbreaks including making arrangements for the mass testing of staff and prisoners if required.”
Mass testing is currently taking place in Cloverhill Prison, which has so far recorded 17 cases of the virus among prisoners.
