A Lake County inmate died Monday night but it remains unclear if he was suffering from the COVID-19 virus.
Virgil Everett Hyde, 39, of Groveland, had been taken to AdventHealth Waterman hospital on Thursday for pneumonia and low oxygen levels. He had tested negative for COVID-19 in mid-June but became sick last week and was confirmed to have pneumonia on July 8.
Hyde, who had been awaiting sentencing on a 2016 second-degree murder charge, was placed in medical isolation, where he was started on antibiotics and was being monitored by medical staff. The following day, his oxygen levels dropped and he was transported to the hospital, said Lt. John Herrell of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Hyde’s death has not yet been confirmed to be a COVID-19 case. There are no other inmates who are hospitalized with the Coronavirus but one correctional officer from the jail remains hospitalized. Last month, Master Dep. Lynn Jones died at his Orange County home after testing positive for COVID-19 on June 13.