A third patient from Western State Hospital in Lakewood has died from COVID-19
A patient at Western State Hospital has died from COVID-19 — less than a week after another patient died of the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
The death, announced Monday by the state Department of Social and Health Services, marks the third for the state-run behavioral health hospital in Lakewood. The first patient death from COVID-19 occurred in March.
The patient died Dec. 24 at a local hospital where they had been for several weeks, according to DSHS. No identifying characteristics, including name, age and gender, were given.
“We are saddened that this virus has taken another one of our patients,” said Sean Murphy, DSHS assistant secretary.
Patients showing symptoms or who have tested positive for COVID-19 have been moved to COVID wards, DSHS said. As of Monday, there were eight staff members and three patients of Western State who have tested positive for COVID-19.
More than 600 frontline workers at Western State have been vaccinated with the first dose of the Moderna vaccine, DSHS said. The vaccinations are voluntary.
This story was originally published December 28, 2020 at 4:49 PM with the headline "A third patient from Western State Hospital in Lakewood has died from COVID-19."
