First federal inmate dies from virus: US officials

The Bureau of Prisons says the first federal inmate in the US has died after contracting coronavirus.

Officials tell The Associated Press that the man died Saturday. He had been housed at FCI Oakdale I, a low-security prison in Louisiana.

The Bureau of Prisons has said five inmates have tested positive for COVID-19 at the Louisiana prison complex.

Attorney General William Barr said earlier this week that one of the inmates had been hospitalized after showing coronavirus symptoms, including having a fever.

He said on Thursday that the man had "significant pre-existing conditions" and was in critical condition.

Advocates and correction officers have been calling for reforms to head off a potential outbreak in the federal prison system. So far, 14 inmates and 13 staff members have tested positive.

Health officials have been warning for more than a decade about the dangers of epidemics in jails and prisons.