Wilkes County reports its first coronavirus-related death
Wilkes County has reported its first COVID-19 death, the county health department said in a press release.
A woman died late Tuesday night from complications associated with the coronavirus.
County Health Director Rachel Willard told The News & Observer in an email that the woman who died was a patient at Wilkes Medical Center.
Willard also wrote that the patient had “underlying health conditions.”
“This time that is the only information we are releasing,” Willard wrote.
The 60-year-old woman who died was the county’s first COVID-19 case, which was reported on Monday.
“On behalf of the Wilkes County Local Health Department and Government, we extend our deepest sympathy to the family,” the press release said. “This unfortunate situation is a reminder that we should follow the Stay at Home order and utilize social distancing to protect ourselves and those around us, especially those who are at an increased risk, and who are most vulnerable.”
There have been two cases of COVID-19 in Wilkes County. As of Tuesday morning, the North Carolina DHHS reported more than 1,500 cases of COVID-19. The Wilkes County case is the state’s 11th death.
Wilkes County is located west of Winston-Salem, about 157 miles from Raleigh.
At least one case of coronavirus has been reported in 82 of the state’s 100 counties, as of March 31. DHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen said this week that the state expects there to be a confirmed case in every county in the coming days, or at least by the end of the week.
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