Updated Mar 23, 2020, 9:12 pm Originally posted Mar 23, 2020, 5:53 pm
A woman in her 50s with "underlying health conditions" is the first person in Pima County to die due to COVID-19, officials said Monday evening.
The Pima County Health Department received the positive lab report diagnosing the case on Monday evening, officials said.
The woman, who was not identified, had "underlying health conditions that may have put her at higher risk," officials said.
Officials did not publicly provide further details about the case, including when the woman died. But separate medical and government sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the woman died Monday morning at a Tucson hospital.
"We express our deepest condolences to this person's loved ones and family members," said Dr. Bob England, director of the Pima County Health Department. "COVID-19 is a dangerous disease that can be fatal and is especially serious for those with underlying health conditions, no matter their age. There will be more cases of COVID-19 in Pima County, and there will be more deaths. Please take recommended precautions to slow the spread."
The case is the 25th to be reported in the county.
"Health Department officials expect the number of cases will continue to increase as testing becomes more widely available," they said.
More than 230 Arizonans have now tested positive for COVID-19, as reported cases again grew 50 percent overnight.
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At least three people have now died in the state from coronavirus. Two previous deaths were in Maricopa County.
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