Kent County Health Department Announces First Resident Death to COVID-19

The Kent County Health Department has confirmed the first death of a county resident related to COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The individual was a man in his 70s.

“We want his family and loved ones to know that we are deeply saddened by the news of his passing, and we express our sympathies during this very difficult time,” William Webb, Kent County’s health officer, said in a statement. “This pandemic represents an unprecedented crisis for our community and our nation.

‘We are confronting this pandemic head on and working tirelessly to protect the well-being of our residents,” Webb said. “People of Kent County are resilient, we support one another in times of need, and we will continue to hold each other up as we do everything we can to contain the spread of this virus and work to prevent further loss of life.”

Resources and Support

Stress, anxiety, and other depression-like symptoms are common reactions after a disaster. If you are experiencing current distress and would like to talk to a trained crisis counselor, please call SAMSHA’s Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990.

The Helpline is a 24/7, 365-day-a-year, national hotline dedicated to providing immediate crisis counseling for people who are experiencing emotional distress related to any natural or human-caused disaster.

This toll-free, multilingual, and confidential crisis support service is available to all residents in the United States and its territories. Call 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 to connect with a trained crisis counselor.

To learn how to protect yourself and others from COVID-19, visit Maryland’s web page at coronavirus.maryland.gov or the Kent County Health Department’s web page at kenthd.org, or call the COVID-19 Call Center at 410-778-1350.