A 30-year-old guard at the Lehigh County Jail died Tuesday of complications of COVID-19, according to his union.

Gary Dean, of Upper Nazareth Township, Northampton County, was a guard since 2016 and a father of two. He died Tuesday at a hospital in Allentown, one month after testing positive for the virus.

An official determination on Dean’s cause of death from the Lehigh County coroner’s office is still pending.

A representative from the union local representing the jail’s corrections officers said that Dean’s death was due to COVID-19 complications.

“Officer Dean died in service to his community,” said Maximus Weikel, union representative for AFSCME Local 543.

Dean was known as a dedicated father and corrections officer, Weikel said. Outside of work, he was known as an avid bodybuilder.

Along with a family friend, the union set up a GoFundMe page which has generated over $22,000 for Dean’s two sons.

In a statement, Lehigh County Director of Corrections Janine Donate said Dean was a true asset as a corrections officer and a dedicated member of the jail staff.

“His professional demeanor, bright smile and positivity was uplifting and encouraging to everyone around him. We extend our most sincere condolences to his family and friends as we grieve this incredible loss,” Donate said.

In her statement, Donate said that the jail has not been immune to the surge of cases in the virus in the past few months.

According to figures from the jail, 97 staff have tested positive during the pandemic, and 89 have recovered. Among inmates there have been 301 positive cases, with 296 recovered. A 54-year-old inmate was the jail’s first COVID-19 related death, in December.

In her statement, Donate said the jail has implemented strict guidelines and safety measures to prevent the spread of the virus. It has been following recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health, and its health care provider.

Weikel said the death of a corrections officer and an inmate show that more can be done to prevent COVID-19 inside the jail.

“One of the biggest ways we can honor Dean’s legacy is to do right by every person who is still in the jail, officers and those who are incarcerated,” he said.

Former inmates, correctional officers and community groups have advocated for reducing the inmate population due to COVID-19.

Weikel said there is also an existing shortage of staff, and it is not uncommon for guards to work 16 hour shifts at the jail.

He said the union has had some productive meetings with county officials in recent weeks, resulting in hazard pay for the officers from the month of December. But he said it will take more to bring back guards who have quit and attract more applicants.

“I’m cautiously optimistic there will be relief for the officers, but that’s coming too late for officer Dean and his two sons, and that’s devastating,” Weikel said.

The GoFundMe for Dean’s sons is online at https://www.gofundme.com/f/2995qb6suo.