Santa Cruz County has first COVID-19 death
SANTA CRUZ — The Santa Cruz County Public Health Division announced Sunday morning that a resident with the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, has died. This is the county’s first death due to complications from the disease.
The individual, according to the county, was an adult male in his early 70s with an underlying health condition. He was admitted to a local hospital on March 19 with symptoms including fever and shortness of breath. He died in the hospital Saturday.
The patient was employed in both Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties. He had not recently traveled and had not had contact with another known case. Public Health’s Communicable Disease Unit determined that this infection was community-acquired.
Santa Cruz County now has 41 confirmed cases, with the vast majority between the ages of 18 and 65 years old.
The Sentinel will continue to follow this story. Check back for more on this report.