Two deaths linked to coronavirus in Adams County

ADAMS COUNTY — The Adams County Health Department reported two more deaths in the county as a result of complications from COVID-19.

Public announcement of the two deaths was delayed in order to give families time to notify loved ones, according to a health department press release. The department said it also waits to verify that COVID-19 is actually a cause of death, listing it on the death certificate after laboratory testing.

According to Community Health Director Karen Potts, the deaths were of a 70-year-old man on Aug. 20 and an 83-year-old man on Aug. 26, both at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland.

The total number of COVID-related deaths in Adams County since the pandemic began is eight.

Potts said it is still important for residents to do their part in preventing the spread of COVID-19, especially to vulnerable members of the community. The department encourages all county residents to wear face masks when in public, limit the size of social gatherings, and to “think carefully about personal decisions to socialize outside” of their households.

The department also encouraged residents who are recovering from COVID-19 to seek medical care if their symptoms get worse, noting that “complications of the virus can become life threatening in a short period of time.”