State Department confirms first official to die from coronavirus

WASHINGTON — The nation’s top diplomat said Tuesday that a State Department official died of COVID-19.

“We’ve had a State Department official pass away as a result of this [corona]virus,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said during a press briefing. 

“We’ve had other members of the team come down with COVID-19 as well. I think we are now up to four or five dozen people who have tested positively inside the State Department, that includes our locally employed staff, the full State Department team,” Pompeo said, without adding further details about the individual.

The Pentagon confirmed Monday that a U.S. service member who tested positive for coronavirus had died. The New Jersey Army National Guardsman was hospitalized on March 21 and died Saturday from the virus.

“Today is a sad day for the Department of Defense as we have lost our first American service member — active, reserve or Guard — to coronavirus,” wrote Secretary of Defense Mark Esper in a statement. “This is a stinging loss for our military community, and our condolences go out to his family, friends, civilian co-workers and the entire National Guard community.”

Article source: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/31/state-department-confirms-first-official-to-die-from-coronavirus.html