The Essex County Health Department reported two COVID-19 related deaths on Friday.

ECHD said the two people who died were 55 and 60 years old. Neither were vaccinated and both were hospitalized with severe illness before dying.

In total, 58 Essex County residents have died from COVID-19 throughout the pandemic, five so far in 2022.

On Thursday, ECHD reported 85 new COVID-19 cases.

A coronavirus outbreak at the Federal Corrections Institute at Ray Brook grew on Friday, with statistics from the Federal Bureau of Prisons showing 104 inmates and five staff positive for COVID-19. On Wednesday, there were 69 inmates and four staff positive for COVID-19.

The facility has 853 inmates currently residing there, according to its website, so 12% of its population was active with COVID-19 on Friday.

FCI Ray Brook is currently in the “Level 3” tier, the most intense level for COVID-19 safety restrictions. Visitations have been suspended at the facility. Everyone is required to wear a mask and socially distance at all times. Staff do daily symptom screenings and temperature checks when they get to work.

There are coronavirus outbreaks at three state prisons in Malone — Franklin County Public Health reported 21 cases at Franklin Correctional, seven at Bare Hill Correctional and six at Upstate Correctional on Thursday.

Franklin County reported 156 new cases on Friday, 87 confirmed by PCR test and 69 by at-home tests. There were 853 active COVID-19 cases in the county on Friday.

Statewide, 49,027 new positive cases were reported on Friday, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office. As of Friday, 12,207 people with COVID-19 were hospitalized across the state; 100 of those people are hospitalized within the North Country region.