SPOKANE, Wash — A child in Spokane County has died due to COVID-19, the Spokane Regional Health District confirmed on Monday.
The child was between the ages of 10 and 19, SRHD Spokesperson Kelli Hawkins wrote in a press release. This is the first COVID-19 death of a child in Spokane County since the start of the pandemic.
“While we feel every death we report is tragic, we do want to recognize that the loss of a child’s life is something that hits a community particularly hard,” Dr. Francisco Velazquez, SRHD interim health officer, said in a press release.
This is the youngest person in Spokane County to die of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. One person previously died who was between the ages of 20 and 29.
According to Washington State data, there have been three other COVID-19 related deaths in children ages 0 to 19 in the state, one in King County and two in Pierce County.
The state and county do not release the exact ages of those who have died from coronavirus.
“The level of risk still remains relatively low in children and teens, but we acknowledge that these lives aren’t just numbers on a report, and statistics will never ease the pain of loss," Velazquez said. "We send our heartfelt condolences out to the child’s family and all other members of our community who have lost a loved one during this terrible pandemic. It is our hope that we, as a community, take this time to remember those who have lost their lives, reach out to those who are grieving their loss, and come together to keep our community safe.”
The child’s death comes as the health district reported over 1,000 new coronavirus cases in the last three days. Over 500 cases were reported on Monday alone.