The United States hit another grim milestone of the coronavirus pandemic.
Every single state has now reported deaths from COVID-19 complications after a fatality occurred in Wyoming, the remaining holdout, on Monday. The Wyoming Department of Health said that the patient was an older man from Johnson County.
Dr. Alexia Harrist, state health officer and epidemiologist with the department, noted that the death was “a sad development we hoped we wouldn’t see in Wyoming,” according to County 17.
“We want this person’s family to know they have our sympathy,” Harrist said. “The advice we’ve been offering and actions we’ve taken ultimately come down to preventing as many serious illnesses and deaths connected to this disease as we can.”
Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon said on Twitter that the man, who has not been publicly identified, had “underlying health conditions that put him at higher risk of severe illness and complications related to the virus.”
Gordon also said that the death “serves as a grim reminder of the importance of following public health orders and guidance so we can reduce the number of serious illnesses and deaths in our state.”
[Click here for complete coronavirus coverage]
…and sadly serves as a grim reminder of the importance of following public health orders and guidance so we can reduce the number of serious illnesses and deaths in our state. Jennie and I extend our thoughts and prayers to this gentleman’s family and friends.
— Governor Mark Gordon (@GovernorGordon) April 13, 2020
Wyoming, which is the least populated state with about 550,000 residents, has reported at least 270 coronavirus cases since the pandemic began. Neighboring states South Dakota and Montana have reported six and seven COVID-19 deaths, respectively.
