The Sioux County Department of Public Health, Community Health Partners, today announced the first death associated with novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the county. The individual was a 61-80 year old.

“We wish to extend our sympathy to this individual’s family,” said Sioux County Public Health Director Kim Westerholm. “Sioux County Public Health and all of our key partners throughout the county and state continue to work to limit the spread and impact of this virus in our communities.”

All residents should continue to follow precautions to avoid getting sick and passing the virus onto others. Those precautions include washing your hands often, avoiding close contact with others; wearing a cloth face covering when around people outside of your household, especially when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain. covering coughs and sneezes, cleaning and disinfecting surfaces regularly, and monitoring your health for symptoms of COVID-19. If you develop symptoms, isolate yourself then call your health care provider and follow their advice.

For up-to-date information on COVID-19, visit coronavirus.iowa.gov and follow the Iowa Department of Public Health on Facebook at @IowaDepartmentOfPublicHealth and on Twitter at @IAPublicHealth.