NBC 7’s Niala Charles shares what we know, so far, about the first person to die of COVID-19 in San Diego County on March 22, 2020.
One San Diego County resident has died from COVID-19 while receiving treatment in Santa Clara County, Dr. Wilma Wooten, San Diego County Public Health Officer said Sunday.
Wooten said the resident was a man in his 70s who was receiving care in Santa Clara County after returning from a trip to Hawaii.
This is the first San Diego County resident to die of COVID-19.
No other details about the resident were immediately available.
As of Sunday, San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) officials confirmed there have been 205 total positive COVID-19 cases, including 11 federal quarantine cases since Feb. 14.
The county cautioned that the number of people actually infected with the disease is likely much higher because not everyone needs to be tested.
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Because there are likely many more cases than the county's official numbers, Dr. Nick Yphantides, Chief Medical Officer for San Diego County said it was essential to follow the regulations outlined in San Diego County's public health order to reduce the virus' spread.
"Do not have a false sense of security in terms of the numbers," Yphantides said. "In some ways, I don't want to say it is meaningless, but it is not that significant."
For the latest information on how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting San Diego County, click here.
