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Lehigh County Jail officer who died from COVID remembered for his ’bright smile and positivity’ Updated Jan 21, 2021; The director of Lehigh County corrections on Thursday paid homage to the county jail’s first corrections officer to die from COVID-19. Gary Dean, 30, was a dedicated member of the jail staff and a true asset, Director Janine Donate said in a prepared statement. Dean, who lived in Upper Nazareth Township, was pronounced dead on Tuesday at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg, the Lehigh County coroner’s office said. “(Dean’s) professional demeanor, bright smile, and p...

30-year-old father of two becomes first Lehigh County corrections officer to die from coronavirus, union says

Some Lehigh County Jail guards hospitalized with COVID complications, employee tells officials Updated Jan 14, 2021; The jail in Allentown was on Wednesday night’s agenda for the Lehigh County commissioners. The employee who spoke only identified himself as Chad, and pleaded for hazard pay for jail employees. “At this time we feel very let down, we feel run ragged, our morale is low,” he said. Chad said there was a staffing crisis last year before the pandemic, and now people are being forced to work 16-hour shifts a day, five days a week. “We can’t work from home,” he said.

Across Pennsylvania and the U.S., the coronavirus is spreading rapidly through prisons and jails, where communal living is standard and social distancing is nearly impossible.