VDH reports first child COVID-19 death in Va.

Teen was resident in Southside Health District

Published September 18, 2020 by Sydney Lake

The Virginia Department of Health on Friday announced the first COVID-19 death of a child under the age of 19 in the commonwealth. 

The adolescent was a resident in the Southside Health District, which covers Brunswick, Halifax and Mecklenburg counties, but VDH said it would not disclose further information about the teenager due to privacy restrictions and out of respect for the patient’s family.

“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,” State Health Commissioner Dr. M. Norman Oliver said 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.”

The death will be reflected on the state’s Saturday, Sept. 19, data dashboard update. As of Friday, VDH reported 138,702 cases, 10,520 hospitalizations and 2,949 deaths.

Below is the latest from VDH: