Health officials: First death from COVID-19 in Clark County

By Las Vegas Sun Staff (contact)

Published Monday, March 16, 2020 | 10:22 a.m.

Updated Monday, March 16, 2020 | 10:41 a.m.

The first person has died in Clark County from complications of COVID-19, health officials announced today.

The person who died was a man in his 60s who had underlying medical conditions, according to the Southern Nevada Health District. No additional details were released about the patient.

The Health District also announced the number of people infected with the coronavirus in Clark County has risen from 16 to 35.

“This loss of life is a tragedy, and we want to express our condolences to the family,” said Dr. Fermin Leguen, acting chief health officer of the Health District. “We must continue to emphasize how important it is to protect those who are most vulnerable to the impacts of the virus and urge our community to support the public health measures and recommendations that are in place.”

Worldwide, more than 178,000 people have been infected with the virus and more than 6,700 have died as a result.

Gov. Steve Sisolak said he was “absolutely heartbroken” to learn of the state’s first coronavirus-related death. It is a day “we knew would happen, but it doesn’t make that reality any less painful or difficult to face,” he said.

“I also want to reiterate that our health care workers and facilities are running on all cylinders to make sure that our patients are receiving the very best care,” Sisolak said.

He said people should take precautionary measures against the virus, including social distancing, avoiding people who are sick, washing their hands and seeking medical care if they get sick.

“We are all in this together, and we will do everything we can as Nevadans to protect ourselves and to protect each other,” Sisolak said.

This is a developing story. Check back later for more.