First coronavirus death reported in Washington County, second in Southern Utah

Undated photo illustration | Photo by Bertrand Blay/iStock/Getty Inages Plus, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — The Utah Department of Health announced the first death of a resident in Washington County to the COVID-19 coronavirus.

Undated image of ventilator equipment at an undisclosed location. | Photo by
sudok1/iStock/Getty Images Plus, St. George News

The department confirmed to St. George News that a woman with underlying conditions in her 60s passed away in Washington County of the virus.

Per health department policies, no other information was released about the person, including specific city.

The woman is the second person overall in Southern Utah to succumb to the virus. On March 27, a woman in her 50s from Iron County died of the virus in Salt Lake City. (See Ed. note)

The Southwest Utah Public Health Department reported two additional positive tests on Saturday – both in Washington County – bringing the total to 83 people in the five-county area of Southern Utah have had the virus since the first case here was reported on March 21

After a lull of two days without new cases, there have been 13 new positive tests for the virus since Thursday. 

The Southwest Utah Public Health Department said the woman had been hospitalized for the past few weeks. At this point, the department said there are no local residents being hospitalized for the virus in Southern Utah.

In a Friday press conference where he announced tentative plans to recommend the reopening of some businesses on May 1, Gov. Gary Herbert said part of the reason the state can lower its alert level is that a majority of people in the state are practicing social distancing and self-isolation, allowing for the so-called “curve” to be flattened and making the pandemic manageable for hospitals in the state.

According to the Utah Department of Health, as of Friday hospitals in the state reported 17% of intensive care unit beds filled and 5% of hospital beds filled.

We have a lot of room,” Herbert said. “We have a lot of beds available.”

Ed. note: An earlier version of the story referred to the woman who died in Iron County as being in her 60s.

COVID-19 information resources

Southern Utah coronavirus count (as of April 25, 2020)

Positive COVID-19 tests: 83, with 58 recoveries.

  • Washington County: 58 (2 new)
  • Iron County: 21
  • Garfield County: 1
  • Kane County: 3
  • Beaver County: 0

Deaths: 2

  • Washington County: 1 (1 new)
  • Iron County: 1

Hospitalized: 0

Tested: 4,238

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!