By Sarah Calams
ATLANTA — A federal prison employee, who was found dead at her home on April 14, posthumously tested postive for COVID-19.
CBS News reported that Robin Grubbs, 39, worked as a case manager at the United States Penitentiary in Atlanta. Officials with the Bureau of Prisons said Grubbs is the “first potential” staff death due to the novel coronavirus.
Grubbs’ last day working at the facility was April 10, and officials said she was screened before entering and determined to be asymptomatic, according to the report.
“Robin was a dedicated employee whose efforts sought to improve the lives of inmates and her fellow staff,” William Woods, the prison’s warden, wrote in a statement. “She was promoting into a new reentry role in the agency which would have prepared her for future leadership opportunities. Robin will be sorely missed by her Bureau family.”
Grubbs, an Army veteran, started her career with the Bureau of Prisons in 2007 as a corrections officer. She was later promoted to a food service assistant in 2010. In 2014, she was promoted to case manager at USP Atlanta.
Currently, eight inmates and three staffers have tested postive for COVID-19 at Grubbs’ facility, according to the report.
Nationwide, 465 federal inmates and 296 staffers have tested positive for COVID-19, and 18 inmates have died from the novel coronavirus.