First COVID-related teen death confirmed in Virginia: health department
RICHMOND, Va. (FOX 5 DC) - The Virginia Department of Health confirmed Friday that a teenager who tested positive for COVID-19 has died, marking the first reported death of an adolescent in the state.
Health officials say the teen was a resident in the state's Southside Health District, which is located in the southwestern region of the Commonwealth.
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“We were extremely saddened to learn of the loss of the state’s first adolescent with COVID-19. On behalf of all of us at VDH, I extend sincere condolences to the teenager’s family and loved ones,” said State Health Commissioner M. Norman Oliver, M.D., M.A. in a statement. “No age group is immune from the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and this unfortunate event, along with the increasing numbers of coronavirus cases we are seeing in some areas of the Commonwealth, is a reminder that we all need to do our part to help slow the spread of virus in the community.”
Health department officials say no further information will be reported for privacy reasons and out of respect for the teen's family.