SOUTH BEND – A Pacific County resident died after contracting covid-19 county health officials reported Wednesday, July 29.

Pacific County Health and Human Services received confirmation Thursday, July 30, that the patient’s death was caused by covid-19.

“Public health officials, including the public health nurse for this case, Leah Heintz, would like to extend heartfelt condolences to the family (and) friends of this individual during this time of loss,” health officials wrote in the release.

Due to age and underlying conditions the person was considered high risk, according to the release. This is the second covid-19 death connected to Pacific County, and the first death to happen in the county. The first covid-19 death connected to Pacific County happened in April when a Pacific County resident contracted the virus and died while living out of state.

As of Thursday, July 30, the number of covid-19 cases connected to the county rose to a total of 34. Of those cases, 16 are still active and being monitored by public health nurses.

Of the four cases announced this week, three involved close contacts of someone previously diagnosed with the disease. One of the people in those cases was hospitalized but later released to isolate at home.

One of the people diagnosed was a 1-year-old child, who was the youngest person to be diagnosed with the disease in Pacific County so far.

In one case, the county did not say how the person contracted the virus.

According to numbers released Wednesday, July 29, of the 32 cases the county was aware of at that time, 28 involved people living in the county at the time of their diagnosis. Of those, 19 have involved people living in South Pacific County and 9 have involved people living in North Pacific County.

The total countywide number of hospitalizations due to the disease rose to six from three since July 22.