2 Men Die Of COVID-19 While Incarcerated In Suffield

SUFFIELD, CT — Two men died of COVID-19 while incarcerated in Suffield, the Connecticut Department of Correction announced on Tuesday.

Both men were inmates at the MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution and were being treated in that agency's Medical Isolation Unit. Medical privacy laws prevent their names from being released.

"This sad news only strengthens my resolve to continue the Agency's fight to combat the spread of this stubborn virus," said Angel Quiros, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Corrections. "My condolences go out to the families of the two departed individuals."

The first man, 54, was admitted to the Medical Isolation Unit on Jan. 1. He became unresponsive on Jan. 4 and was taken via ambulance to an area hospital, where he died, officials said.

He last entered the Connecticut correctional system on July 5, 2021, and was being held on a $650,000 bail for first-degree robbery.

The second man, 67, began receiving care at the Medical Isolation Unit on Dec. 27, 2021. On Dec. 29, he was transported to a hospital for continued treatment, and he died on Jan. 9.

He suffered from "several underlying comorbidities," officials said.

The man last entered the Connecticut correctional system on Feb. 25, 2019, and was being held on a $750,000 bail for home invasion.