Adams County Health District: Two more deaths attributed to COVID-19

RITZVILLE — The Adams County Health Department has announced two additional Adams County residents have died of complications from the COVID-19 virus.

The deaths were announced Sept. 11. A 69-year-old woman died Aug. 31, and an 80-year-old man died Sept. 2. Both patients were residents of Othello. Both were hospitalized at Kadlec Medical Center in Richland at the time they died.

As of Friday, nine Adams County residents have died due to the coronavirus, and one person died from coronavirus-related complications, since the pandemic began in late February and early March.

Both deaths were due to respiratory complications associated with the coronavirus, according to a health department press release.

The ACHD delayed announcement of the deaths to make sure the families had time to notify other relatives and friends, the press release said. In addition, health district officials wait to verify COVID-19 is listed as a cause of death on the death certificate.

Any death attributed to coronavirus is verified with laboratory testing, the death certificate and other case information before it’s announced.

Health district officials appealed to county residents to follow guidelines to help slow the disease’s spread. Those guidelines include wearing a face covering while in public, limiting the size of any gathering, and limiting close contact with people outside the immediate household.