8th inmate dies from COVID-19 complications at Avenal State Prison

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- An eighth inmate at Avenal State Prison has died due to complications from the coronavirus, Kings County health officials say.

Officials said the inmate died at an outside hospital on Saturday. Their name has not been released.

They're the 79th person to have died from COVID-19 while they were incarcerated in a California prison.

Avenal State Prison has 24 people who are currently positive for COVID-19.

Overall, there have been nearly 16,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the state prison system.