First coronavirus death reported in El Dorado County; elderly man lived in Tahoe region

Health officials reported El Dorado County’s first death due to complications of the coronavirus on Saturday.

In a news release Saturday, the county’s public health officer, Dr. Nancy Williams, said the patient was an elderly man from the Lake Tahoe area of the county.

“This morning we received the very sad news that a male over 65 years of age died yesterday of complications from COVID-19,” Williams said in a prepared statement. “Our thoughts and condolences go out to his family and friends during this very difficult time.”

Long one of the few places in California that had not seen a COVID-19 fatality, El Dorado County has kept its infection rate relatively low. A total of 394 people have been infected as of Friday, and two people were being treated in intensive care units.

The Lake Tahoe region, however, accounts for the majority of the county’s coronavirus cases and has seen significant tourism activity in recent weeks. Almost 200 of the county’s total infections were in people near Lake Tahoe.

El Dorado County was the last county in the greater Sacramento area to have remained off the state’s regional coronavirus watchlist, allowing slightly more freedom from economic restrictions than many of its neighbors.

This story was originally published July 18, 2020 at 1:01 PM.