Weld County man with coronavirus dies; 2nd death from COVID-19 in Colorado

WELD COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) - The second person in Colorado has died from coronavirus COVID-19, Weld County officials reported Tuesday.

The Weld County Department of Public Health confirmed that the victim was a man in his 70s. The death is connected to a previously identified case, and the positive case number in Weld County stands at 6.

The state's first death from COVID-19 was in El Paso County last week, when a woman in her 80s with underlying health issues succumbed to the virus.

“Protecting our high-risk populations from COVID-19 is imperative,” said Mark E. Wallace, MD MPH, Executive Director of the Health Department. “We are strongly suggesting people practice social distancing in order to prevent future COVID-19 deaths and protect our workforce. Every single reduction in the number of contacts you have per day will have a significant impact on the virus’s spread.”

The number of positive cases in Colorado was last updated Monday evening at 160.